Tentative play was displayed in the opening chukker of the UAE (HH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum, Jack Richardson, Lucas Monteverde and Pablo MacDonough) and Cortium (Adrian Kirby, Chris Mackenzie, Francisco Elizalde and Eduardo Novillo Astrada) match Wednesday afternoon at Trippets as action in the 2013 Veuve Clicquot British Open for the Gold Cup continued. The two teams exchanged goals early with the defending British Open champion Cortium’s Adrian Kirby closing out the chukker with a go ahead goal and a 2-1 lead.
A confident UAE team took the field in the second, scoring two straight goals for a 3-2 advantage. Cortium got on the scoreboard with a tying goal, 3-3. UAE took the lead back, 4-3 as both teams battled for control of the ball.
UAE extended their lead to 5-3 with the opening goal of the third chukker of play. Cortium managed to break through the UAE defense for a goal, cutting the lead to 5-4. UAE wasted little time in restoring their two goal lead, and ending first half play on the winning end of a 6-4 score.
UAE opened the second half of play with an opening goal that stretched their lead to three goals, 7-4, over a disorganized Cortium foursome. Cortium had few answers for the veteran Argentine duo of Lucas Monteverde (8) and Pablo MacDonough (10). A second consecutive UAE goal had Cortium trailing by four goals, 8-4, as UAE flaunted their superiority on the field. Cortium rallied for the final goal of the chukker, but it would be UAE that would leave the field after four chukkers of play with an 8-5 advantage.
Cortium cut the lead to two goals, 8-6, with the opening goal of the fifth chukker, and moments later were within a goal of the lead, 8-7 as the UAE offense seemed to have stalled. The UAE defense finally showed up and halted the Cortium rally long enough for their offense to get on the scoreboard, but Cortium scored the final goal of the period. The fifth chukker ended with UAE in front, 9-8.
MacDonough and Monteverde thought this one was over, they were gravely mistaken. Jack Richardson scored from the field for UAE scored first as the two teams swapped goals early into the chukker. UAE managed to hold on to a narrow 10-9 lead. UAE got serious as the chukker wore on, with patron HH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum adding another goal for an 11-9 edge. Two more goals from Pablo MacDonough in the sixth had UAE in front by four, 13-9, as hope for a last chukker comeback disappeared for Cortium, and UAE celebrated their first British Open victory.
EL REMANSO 11, BLACK BEARS 10
The Black Bears (Guy Schwarzenbach, Nachi du Plessis, John Paul Clarkin and Patrick O’Dwyer) haven’t forgotten the sting of their 12-11 loss to El Remanso (Ali Patterson, George Hanbury, Pelon Stirling and Guillermo Terrera) in the quarterfinals of the Queens Cup as they took a 2-1 first chukker lead.
Ten-goaler Pelon Stirling led the el Remanso attack in the second chukker, outscoring Black Bears 2-1 and knotting it up at 3-3.
Two more El Remanso goals in the third gave them a 5-4 halftime lead as the Black Bears struggled to get one goal on the scoreboard in the chukker.
In an almost mirror image of their last meeting, El Remanso and Black Bears exchanged goals in the fifth. El Remanso maintained their one goal lead, 7-6.
The Black Bears fought their way back into the game in the fifth chukker. Two goals from black Bears were answered by a single goal from El Remanso. The result, an 8-8 tie going into the final chukker of regulation play.
Black Bears kept after them into the sixth, but El Remanso outscored their rivals 3-2 and for the second consecutive time snuck past them in a one goal victory, 11-10.
LES LIONS 11, HB POLO 5
Les Lions (Henry Fisher, Agustin Merlos, Sebastian Merlos and Joachim Gottschalk) scored early for a 2-1 lead over HB Polo in a game that had three Merlos brothers competing on the field at the same time. HB Polo (Ludovic Pailloncy, Ignacio Toccalino, Pite Merlos and Sebastian Pailloncy) stayed close with a first chukker goal.
Tincho Merlos and Sebastian Merlos showed their dominance in second chukker play, scoring four goals to a single score from HB Polo. At the end of the second chukker Les Lions owned a 6-4 lead over an outgunned HB Polo side.
HB Polo stepped up their game in the third, matching Les Lions goal for goal. At the end f the first half of play, Les Lions continued to lead, 8-4.
Les Lions continued to dominate HB Polo in second half play. By the end of the fifth chukker Les Lions had stretched their lead to six goals, 11-5. HB Polo continued to press, but the results weren’t coming. HB Polo had a long way to go, with just one chukker remaining.
A scoreless seven minutes ended the agony for HB Polo as Les Lions rode off with the 11-5 win.
Only one British Open game is slated to be played at 1 PM on Thursday, June 27 between Sumaya and Lucchese.