By Alex Webbe
Zacara battled back from a 10-7 deficit to score a 13-11 win over White Birch Thursday morning in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup tournament at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
“We’ve got a team, we’ve got a team.” Shouted a jubilant Mike Azzaro at the end of the game. Azzaro led all scoring with eight goals as Zacara struggled early only to outscore White Birch 4-1 in the final chukker.
“I give all of the credit to the horses,” said perennial favorite Carlos Gracida, “in the last two chukkers we brought out our top horses,” he said, “they were the difference.”
Gracida scored the tying and go-ahead goals in the final period before Azzaro’s last two goals slammed the door on the team that has won the Gold Cup more times than any team in history.
White Birch’s Mariano Aguerre scored the first two goals of the game followed by a score from the field by teammate Lucas Monteverde for a 3-0 lead. Azzaro got Zacara on the scoreboard with a penalty conversion followed by a penalty goal from Monteverde to end the chukker with White Birch ahead 4-1.
Azzaro scored three goals in the second period to tie the game at 4-4 as Tom Biddle helped anchor a Zacara defense that held White Birch scoreless.
Azzaro and Gracida each scored to give Zacara its first lead at the half, 6-5.
Azzaro was quick to point out that Zacara’s patron and team captain; Lyndon Lea was a big part of its victory.
“We played with our patron,” said Azzaro, referring to the fact that White Birch brought in professional Ulysses Escapite to play for its patron, Peter Brant.
White took the lead back in the fourth period as Monteverde scored three times but held a narrow 10-9 lead going into the final chukker.
Four consecutive goals from Zacara clinched the game, with White Birch’s Inaki Laprida scoring once in the final second of play.
Azzaro scored eight goals for Zacara, Gracida scored five times for the win.
Lucas Monteverde led White Birch with seven goals. Mariano Aguerre scored three times and Inaki Laprida added a goal in the loss.
The USPA Gold Cup competition will continue on Saturday at noon when Las Monjitas (0-0) meets Lechuza (0-1).