L to R-Julio Arellano earned MVP honors while teammate Negro de Lusarreta led all scoring with six goals in the Coca-Cola 11-8 win over Audi in USPA Gold Cup play Sunday afternoon at the International Polo Club. (Photo by David Lominska)
Julian de Lusarreta scored four of his game-high six goals in the opening chukker as Coca-Cola (Gillian Johnston, Julian de Lusarreta, Julio Arellano and Miguel Novillo Astrada) leveled their record at 1-1 with an 11-8 win over an Audi team (Marc Ganzi, Tomas Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres and Rodrigo Andrade) that appeared to run out of gas in the second half of Sunday afternoon’s feature USPA Gold Cup match at the International Polo Club.
De Lusarreta opened the scoring with a pair of goals from the field before Audi could get on the scoreboard with a 30-yard penalty goal from Gonzalito Pieres, 2-1. Two more goals from de Lusarreta closed out the chukker with Audi trailing by three goals, 4-1. Audi bounced back in the second period on the strength of two goals from Tomas Pieres and a goal from Brazilian 9-goaler, Rodrigo Andrade. Miguel Novillo Astrada’s single goal from the field was Coca-Cola’s only score of the chukker as they found themselves defending a fragile one-goal lead, 5-4.
Audi took control of the game in the third with both Andrade and Gonzalito Pieres scoring from the field. Coca-Cola was held scoreless for the first time on the day, and trailed at halftime, 6-5.
With polo legend Memo Gracida coaching Coca-Cola at halftime, the team returned to the field with a renewed focus. Julio Arellano complimented his impressive defensive efforts with two goals (one on a 60-yard penalty shot) and single scores from de Lusarreta and Astrada. The Audi team was stuck in neutral and fell behind by three goals, 9-6.
Audi followed up with a second scoreless chukker as Coca-Cola team captain Gillian Johnston scored the only goal of the period. With one chukker remaining in regulation play the Coca-Cola lead held at four goals, 10-6.
Audi attempted a last chukker rally but the Coca-Cola defense was up to the challenge. Two goals from Gonzalito Pieres were answered by de Lusarreta’s sixth goal of the day for the 11-8 Coca-Cola win.
De Lusarreta led the field in scoring with six goals, all from the field. Teammates Arellano and Astrada added two goals apiece and Johnston scored once in the victory. Gonzalito Pieres led the Audi attack with four goals. Tomas Pieres and Andrade each scored twice in the loss.
The win boosted the Coca-Cola record to 1-1 while Audi remained winless at 0-2.
Valiente 14, Orchard Hill 10
Orchard Hill (Polito Pieres, Juan Chavanne, Facundo Pieres and Steve Van Andel) got ten goals out of Facundo Pieres but it wasn’t enough to unseat a balanced Valiente polo team (Rob Jornayvaz, Matias Torres Zavaleta, Diego Cavanagh and Adolfo Cambiaso) who rode on to record their second straight USPA Gold Cup win, 14-10.
With Robert Jornayvaz (1) replacing his father, Bob Jornayvaz (2), Valiente received one goal by handicap in the 26-goal tournament. A 30-yard penalty conversion from Facundo Pieres tied the game at 1-1 at the 6:13 mark. Matias Torres Zavaleta added a goal to close out the first period with Valiente in front, 2-1.
Zavaleta scored his second goal in the opening seconds of the second chukker as the Valiente led grew to two goals, 3-1. Single goals from Adolfo Cambiaso and Diego Cavanagh extended the Valiente lead to 5-1. The Orchard Hill offense continued to press the attack with Facundo Pieres taking advantage of a pair of Valiente penalties to convert a pair of penalty shots, 5-3. Facundo Pieres scored the final goal of the chukker from the field with just 1:13 on the clock to trail Valiente, 5-4.
Facundo Pieres and Cavanagh exchanged 30-yard penalty goals in the third, 6-5, and with 30 seconds left in the first half, Cambiaso took the ensuing throw-in and raced down the field for his second score of the day and a 7-5 halftime lead for Valiente.
The two teams battled back and forth in the fourth, Cavanagh and Facundo Pieres trading penalty goals (Cavanagh from the 40-yard line and Facundo Pieres from 60-yards out), 8-6. Cambiaso stretched the Valiente lead to three goals, 9-6 before back-to-back goals from Facundo Pieres had Orchard Hill to within a goal of the lead, 9-8. Valiente picked up the closing goal of the period from Zavaleta in the final 35 seconds for a 10-8, two goal advantage.
Play was tight as the fifth period got underway with Cavanagh and Facundo Pieres each scoring on a 30-yard penalty shot in the opening minute of play, 11-9. Zavaleta scored his fifth goal of the game at 3:17 and Cavanagh added a goal from the field for the final score of the period and a 13-9 Valiente lead.
The Valiente defense held up in the final seven minutes of play, allowing a single goal to Facundo Pieres with 4:10 left in the game to make it 13-10, but that was where the Orchard Hill attack stalled. Zavaleta scored the final goal of the game for the 14-10 win and a perfect 2-0 Valiente record. Orchard Hill fell to 1-1.
Zavaleta and Cavanagh scored five goals apiece. Cambiaso added three goals and the team received one goal by handicap for the win. Facundo Pieres scored all ten goals (six on penalty conversions) for Orchard Hill.