Thu 23rd Mar 2017USPA Gold CupFinalists Decided
Four teams have been competing to reach the Final of the 2017 USPA Gold Cup at the International Polo Club, Palm Beach. After the Semi Finals, Coca Cola and Valiente have secured their places in the Final. Both Semi Final matches took place yesterday, Wednesday 22 March, in a double bill of 26 goal action. The first match was between Coca Cola and Orchard Hill and although the match got off to a slow start the Semi Final turned into an exhilarating display of fast-paced high goal polo reaching into overtime. With just one goal for Orchard Hill and a scoreless first chukka for Coca Cola, the pace picked up as the match gained momentum with minimal fouls, perhaps due to both teams being keen to limit the opportunities of their opposition. A wise choice as both Orchard Hill’s Facundo Pieres and Coca Cola’s Julio Arellano have demonstrated their penalty taking prowess throughout the tournament. By managing to avoid giving Facundo Pieres the opportunity to convert penalties, Coca Cola pushed the match into overtime with a score of 10-10 at the end of the sixth chukka. An Orchard Hill foul in overtime allowed Arellano a penalty and although the ball was deflected, Lusarreta pounced on the opportunity and secured the win for Coca Cola with a final score of 11-10. Next up, it was the turn of Valiente and Audi. From the outset, Audi had a tough challenge as Valiente remained undefeated throughout the qualifying stages. Although Audi seemed to hassle and pressurize Adolfo Cambiaso from the start, this added pressure upon Valiente’s powerhouse was not enough to end their winning streak and Audi lost out on a place in the Final by 12 goals to 8. The Final will be played on Sunday 26 March and for those of us not lucky enough to be enjoying the sunshine in the US, the match will be live streamed on the USPA Polo Network. Click here for the link. USPA Gold Cup Final Teams: Valiente (26): Bob Jornayvaz (2), Matias Torres Zavaleta (6), Adolfo Cambiaso (10) & Diego Cavanagh (8) Coca Cola (26): Gillian Johnston (2), Julian de Lussaretta (7), Julio Arellano (8) & Miguel Novillo Astrada (9) Coca Cola’s Miguel Novillo Astrada taking on Orchard Hill’s Facundo Pieres. By © David Lominska/IPC |