By Alex Webbe
A full day of polo at the International Polo Club in Wellington featured the quarterfinals of the 2012 Nespresso US Open championship with four teams emerging as the winners who will play in Wednesday’s semifinals.
In the day’s finale, Facundo Pieres scored ten goals in leading Zacara to a 13-7 romp over a beleaguered Coca-Cola foursome
In the opening game of the day Zacara took control early, running out to a 3-0 start before Coca-Cola got on the scoreboard. Magoo Laprida opened the scoring with a goal from the field followed by a pair of goals from Pieres. With just a minute left to play in the chukker, Coca-Cola’s Hilario Ulloa broke through the Zacara attack for a goal to end the period trailing, 3-1.
Two more goals from Pieres in the second period went unanswered as the Zacara defense shut down any attempt to get near the Zacara goal. After the first two chukkers of play, Zacara led by four goals, 5-1.
Coca-Cola got it going a bit in the third with another goal from Ulloa and a 40-yard penalty conversion from Julio Arellano. Two more goals from Pieres kept Zacara four goals ahead with a 7-3 halftime lead.
A renewed Coca-Cola team took to the field in the fourth, scoring three times in the first three minutes. Pieres scored on a penalty shot to keep Zacara from being blanked, cutting the lead to two goals, 8-6.
Zacara snapped back in the fifth period with goals from Mike Azzaro and a goal from the field from Pieres. Dogged defense shut out the Coca-Cola attack for the second time as Zacara reclaimed its four goal lead, 10-6.
Arellano scored his first goal from the field, but that would be the end of the Coca-Cola offense. Laprida drove the ball through the goalposts from 80yards out with Pieres closing out the scoring with two more penalty goals. The 13-6 victory boosted the team into Wednesday’s semifinals.
Pieres lit it up with ten goals on the day (three on penalty shots). Laprida scored twice and Azzaro added a goal in the win.
Arellano (two penalty goals) and Ulloa scored three goals apiece for Coca-Cola. Team captain Gillian Johnston added a goal in a losing effort.
VALIENTE I 14, VALIENTE II 11
The match so many were waiting for with great anticipation Sunday afternoon turned out to be a bust with 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso being forced to resign after the first three chukkers due to a previously injured mallet hand. Cambiaso was replaced by 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough, but the chemistry wasn’t the same as they fell 14-11.
Pelon Stirling put Valiente II on top after the first chukker with a goal from the field and a penalty goal. Valiente I responded with a goal from Nacho Astrada, and trailed Valiente II, 2-1.
Second chukker goals from Stirling and Cambiaso had Valiente II in front by three goals, 4-1, with the two 10-goal stars playing as if they had played together all of their lives. A physical defense kept Valiente I from scoring as they fell behind by three goals.
The wheels came off the wagon for Valiente II in the third chukker with Valiente I putting five goals on the scoreboard while holding Valiente II to a single goal from Stirling. Two goals from Nacho Astrada and single goals from Miguel Astrada and Polito Pieres tied it up at 5-5 at the end of the first half.
Bad news for Valiente II as it was learned that Cambiaso’s injury wouldn’t allow him to continue. Ten-goaler Pablo MacDonough’s team had been eliminated from the Open earlier in the day, and he was pressed into service. Initially the addition seemed to be a boost to the Valiente II team. A pair of penalty conversions from Pieres was countered by single goals from Alejo Taranco and Stirling. MacDonough added a goal from the field and a penalty goal as Valiente II moved ahead, 9-7.
A vengeful Valiente I cadre showed a whole new face in the fifth chukker, physically manhandling their opponents as they rang up five goals while limiting Valiente II to a single penalty goal. Fouls continued to get Valiente II into trouble, having already given up four penalty scores in the last two chukkers. Nacho Astrada would score two of his three goals from the penalty line while teammate Pieres would also convert a penalty shot for a goal. Miguel Astrada added a goal from the field as Valiente I took a two goals lead, 12-10. Stirling scored Valiente II’s only goal on a penalty shot.
Two more penalty goals in the sixth chukker for Valiente I as Pieres and Nacho Astrada struck again were answered with a single penalty goal from MacDonough for the final 14-11 score in the Valiente win.
Nacho Astrada scored a game high seven goals (four on penalty shots). Pieres added five penalty goals and Miguel Astrada played brilliantly, adding two goals in the victory.
Stirling accounted for six Valiente II goals (two on penalty shots). Macdonough scored three times (twice on penalty shots). Cambiaso and Taranco scored single goals in the loss.
LECHUZA CARACAS 13, ORCHARD HILL 11
Orchard Hill came out with their A-game, and kept it close for much of the game, but a strong finish by Lechuza Caracas gave them a 13-11 win and a berth in Wednesday’s semifinals of the 2012 Nespresso US Open Championship at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Lechuza Caracas boasted two 10-goal players in their lineup with Sapo Caset and Juan Martin Nero, and ran out to an early 2-0 lead on the strength of a pair of penalty goals from Caset. Orchard Hill responded with two goals from the field from their own 10-goaler, Pablo MacDonough, leaving it all even at 2-2 after the first chukker of play.
Goals from Mariano Gonzalez and Lucas Criado had Orchard Hill on top of a 4-2 score just three minutes into the second period. Nero cut the lead to a single goal with his first score of the afternoon, 4-3. Gonzalez added a penalty goal, extending the lead to two goals, 5-3. Caset and Nero closed out the scoring in the last minute-and-a-half of the chukker with single goals for a 5-5 tie.
Criado scored in the first thirty seconds of the third chukker for a 6-5 Orchard Hill advantage. Caset converted a 40-yard penalty shot for a goal and a 6-6 score. Nero put Lechuza Caracas ahead, 7-6, with his third goal of the day, but goals from Criado and MacDonough had Orchard Hill leading 8-7 at the end of the first three chukkers.
Lechuza Caracas owned the opening chukker of the second half, picking up two goals from Caset; the first coming in the first three minutes of the chukker and the second with just five seconds on the clock. The Lechuza Caracas defense held Orchard Hill scoreless, taking a 9-8 lead into the fifth period.
The two teams exchanged goals in the fifth, with MacDonough and Gonzalez getting on the board for Orchard Hill and Caset adding a pair of goals for Lechuza Caracas. Lechuza Caracas continued to lead, 11-10.
Caset scored the opening goal of the final chukker to give Lechuza Caracas a 12-10 lead, but orchard Hill fought right back. A 60-yard penalty conversion from Gonzalez had Orchard Hill breathing down their neck, 12-11. A final rush at the Orchard Hill resulted in a well-placed and authoritative shot through the goals posts by Lechuza Caracas team captain Victor Vargas for the 13-11 win.
Caset scored nine times in the victory (four times on penalties). Nero added three goals and Vargas accounted for the final goal.
MacDonough and Gonzalez scored four goals each (two of Gonzalez’s goals were on penalty shots). Criado was credited with three goals.
ERG 12, AUDI 10
ERG raced out to a three goal lead on a goal from Agustin Merlos and a pair of goals from Paco de Narvaez. Audi rallied with a pair of penalty goals from Gonzalito Pieres and a goal from the field from Jeff Hall for a 3-3 deadlock.
The two teams traded goals again in the second with Nico Pieres scoring from the field and Gonzalito Pieres adding a penalty goal. Agustin Merlos responded with two goals of his own (one on a penalty shot) and the teams were tied up at 5-5.
A 60-yard penalty shot by Gonzalito Pieres in the third was countered by individual goals from Sebastian Merlos and de Narvaez (in the last 38 seconds) for a 7-6 halftime lead for ERG.
Audi fared no better in the second half with Agustin Merlos scoring on a penalty shot and Sebastian Merlos adding another goal from the field. Gonzalito kept Audi in the game with a penalty goal, but ERG owned the 9-7 advantage.
A penalty goal from Gonzalito Pieres and a goal from the field from Marc Ganzi had it all even at 9-9, but a goal from Agustin Merlos with 48 seconds left to play had ERG leaving the field to prepare for the final chukker with a narrow 10-9 advantage.
Sebastian Merlos gave ERG a two goal lead, 11-9, with a penalty conversion, and provided disciplined defense that kept Audi from scoring for over three minutes. Audi fought back with a goal from Nico Pieres, 11-10, but could get no closer. Sebastian Merlos scored the final goal of the game with 18 seconds on the clock for the 12-10 victory.
Gonzalito Pieres led all scoring with six penalty goals. Nico Pieres added two goals and Ganzi and Hall each chipped in a goal in the loss.
Five goals from Agustin Merlos set the pace for ERG. Sebastian Merlos added four goals and de Narvaez was credited with three goals in the win.
The victories on the day set the stage for the Nespresso US Open semifinals with Lechuza Caracas meeting Valiente I in the 2pm contest while ERG faces Zacara at 4pm.