By Alex Webbe
Three games took place in the 2012 USPA Piaget Gold Cup Thursday afternoon at the International Polo Club in Wellington that will decide half of the tournament’s playoff positions with ERG (3-0), Zacara (3-0), Valiente I (2-1) and Alegria (1-2) finding berths in the Quarterfinals on Sunday and Monday.
Following a 45 minute rain delay, Valiente I went to work establishing a 7-4 halftime lead before soundly defeating Ernesto Gutiérrez’s La Ensenada team from Buenos Aires, 16-8.
La Ensenada was spotted one goal by handicap from the 26-goal Valiente I team, with Miguel Astrada scoring the first goal from the field on a 60-yard penalty conversion, 1-1. Matias Magrini responded with a 40-yard penalty goal for La Ensenada before surrendering two consecutive goals to Valiente I’s Polito Pieres to end the chukker. Valiente I left the field with an early 3-2 lead.
Juan Garcia Grossi broke through the Valiente I defenses in the second period to score two goals to give La Ensenada a 4-3 edge. Valiente I fired back with Miguel Astrada scoring one goal from the field and two on penalty shots. The chukker ended with Valiente I on top, 6-4.
Both defenses tightened in the third. Shots at goal went wide or were defended, passes were intercepted. Miguel Astrada managed to score the only goal of the chukker for a 7-4 halftime advantage.
Miguel Astrada opened the scoring in the second half with a penalty goal. La Ensenada answered with a goal from the field from Grossi, 8-5. A goal from Pieres was followed by a scoring effort from Nacho Astrada, and Valiente I rode off the field at the end of the fourth chukker ahead by five goals, 10-5.
Two more goals from Pieres and a score from the field from Miguel Astrada had the Valiente I lead expanding to six goals, 13-7. La Ensenada managed a pair of goals from Magrini (one from the field and one on a 60-yard penalty shot).
Lucas James opened the final chukker with his first goal of the day, but the Valiente I offense continued to roll. Pieres converted a 60-yard penalty shot for a goal and Miguel Astrada added a pair of goals (one from the field and one on a penalty shot) for the 16-8 victory.
Miguel Astrada set the pace for Valiente I with nine goals (five on penalty shots). Pieres scored six times and Nacho Astrada added a goal in the win. Santiago Toccalino replaced Nacho Astrada (injured riding muscle) in the final chukker.
Magrini and Grossi scored three goals apiece for La Ensenada (0-3). James added a goal and the team received one goal by handicap.
ERG 15, AUDI 13
Audi received three goals by handicap from the 26-goal ERG foursome and charged ahead with three more first chukker goals with Brazilian 8-goaler, Rodrigo Andrade, converting two 40-yard penalty shots for goals and adding a goal from the field for good balance. Agustin Merlos got ERG on the scoreboard with a pair of penalty shots for goals. After the first chukker of play, Audi led, 6-2.
Audi stretched the lead to five goals in the second as Nic Roldan scored on a 40-yard penalty shot and Andrade added a goal from the field. Sebastian Merlos scored the only ERG goal of the period, as they trailed, 8-3.
A recharged ERG team took the field in the third with a new focus. Paco de Narvaez added two goals and Agustin Merlos scored three consecutive times to tie it up at 8-8 as the first half came to a close.
Sebastian Merlos scored the go-ahead goal in the fourth and Agustin Merlos added another as ERG moved in front, 10-8. Roldan responded with a pair of penalty goals and the game was all even at 10-10 as the period ended.
ERG eked ahead 13-12 as they picked up three penalty goals from Agustin Merlos. Audi responded with a goal from the field from Andrade and a penalty conversion from Roldan.
Agustin Merlos scored to put ERG in front, 14-12, but Roldan’s fifth penalty conversion of the game had Audi cut the lead back to a single goal lead, 14-13. Audi struggled to get control of the ball as time was running out, but a final goal from Sebastian Merlos ended it in a 15-13 ERG victory.
Agustin Merlos was credited with ten goals (six on penalties). Sebastian Merlos scored three times and de Narvaez added two goals for the win,
Andrade and Roldan (five goals on penalties) scored five goals apiece in the Audi loss.
ZACARA 14, ALEGRIA 11
On a sliding scale, with Miguel Astrada scoring nine times in the first game and Agustin Merlos driving the ball through the opponent’s goal posts ten times in the second game, it should come as no surprise to anyone that Argentine 10-goaler Facundo Pieres would score eleven times in the final match of the day in leading Zacara (3-0) to a 14-11 win over Alegria.
Alegria scored first on a penalty goal from Fred Mannix, but Facundo Pieres responded with a goal from the field for a 1-1 first chukker tie.
Mariano Aguerre put Alegria on top, 2-1 with a penalty conversion in the second chukker, but Zacara roared back. Three unanswered goals from Pieres ended the period with Alegria trailing 4-2.
Four more Zacara goals in the third saw Magoo Laprida and Mike Azzaro (replacing Joaquin Pittaluga) scoring single goals. Pieres added two more goals, with one coming on a penalty shot. Alegria came up with single goals from Julian Mannix and Tomas Garcia del Rio. The first half came to an abrupt halt with Zacara in the lead, 8-4.
The two teams exchanged goals in the fourth with Alegria garnering goals from Julian Mannix and Fred Mannix (penalty). Zacara responded with two more goals from Pieres (one from the field and one on a penalty conversion). Zacara maintained a four goal lead, 10-6.
A refocused Alegria team took control of the game in the fifth chukker as the defense shut out Pieres and his teammates while adding four goals of their own. Julian Mannix scored twice while Fred Mannix and Mariano Aguerre added single penalty goals for a 10-10 tie.
Del Rio converted a 60-yard penalty shot to open the final chukker, but Zacara responded in strength. Three more goals from Pieres and a goal from the field from Laprida closed the door on hapless Alegria as Zacara galloped to a comfortable 14-11 win.
Pieres set the record on the day with eleven goals (four on penalties). Laprida scored twice and Azzaro added a goal.
Julian Mannix led the Alegria attack with four goals. Fred Mannix added three goals (all on penalties).Aguerre and del Rio each scored a pair of penalty shots for goals.
The Thursday matches eliminated Audi (0-3) and La Ensenada (0-3) from the tournament quarterfinals with ERG finishing in first place in their bracket; Zacara in second place; Valiente I in third place and Alegria in fourth place. All four top finishers will advance to the quarterfinals.