By Alex Webbe
Argentina used four fourth chukker goals to score a 10-8 win over England in the Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup at the Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club in Tianjin, China Tuesday afternoon. The victory will place Argentina in Friday’s finals against a resilient USA team.
England seemed to take control early, scoring the first goals of the contest. James Harper connected on a pass from James Beim for the first goal, four minutes into the game. Beim converted a 30-yard penalty shot for the 2-0 advantage. Santiago Cernadas kept Argentina from getting blanked when he jumped an English hit from midfield and charged 200 yards down the field for a goal. At the end of one period, England led 2-1.
England continued to press the attack in the second with Beim failing on a 60-yard penalty shot and then converting on a 30-yarder just a minute into the chukker. Argentina missed their first penalty shot and England led, 3-1. Cudmore took a shot at goal that was tapped through by Beim, and England was ahead, 4-1. Cernadas came through for Argentina once again, scoring with 11 seconds on the cluck to end the second period trailing England, 4-2.
Argentina continued its comeback in the third, picking up single goals from Juan Ambroggio and Marcos Araya (penalty conversion) while shutting out the English attack. The score was all even at the end of the first half, 4-4.
Argentina took control of the game in the fourth chukker. Cernadas scored the first goal of the period on a pass from Ambroggio less than a minute into play. Ambroggio scored on a pass from Laplacette three minutes later. Araya converted another 30-yard penalty shot with 1:24 on the clock and Cernadas scored his second goal of the chukker with just 11 seconds remaining. In the blink of an eye England found themselves trailing, 8-4.
Argentine fouls and successful penalty hitting from Beim helped to get England back into the game in the fifth period as he converted two 60-yarders to cut the Argentine lead to 8-6. Araya ran the ball along the English backline, pushing it into the goal on a lateral run for a 9-6led. Beim closed out the chukker with a penalty conversion from in front of the Argentine goal, but England continued to trail, 9-7 with one chukker left to play.
England continued to press its attack in the final period, but the Argentine defense was ready. Araya converted for a goal on a pass from Ambroggio for a 10-7 advantage with 5:25 left in the chukker. England was unable to get any rhythm going with Beim scoring the final goal of the match on a 40-yard penalty shot with 2:35 on the clock.
The win set up Friday’s Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup finals with Argentina meeting the United States. England will meet Hong Kong on Wednesday to battlefor 3rd place.