April 12, 2021

Asia, Polo News

Strong Finish for Ankora – Dr. A Polo and Habtoor Polo Teams

12. April 2021

11 April 2021, Dubai, UAE: The last of the qualifying matches for the Dubai Cup 2021 concluded with a win for Ankora – Dr. A and Habtoor Polo teams.

It was a slow first chukker with Tomy Iriarte scoring the first goal for Ankora – Dr. A Polo team. The team pushed the lead further during the second and created a 2.5 goal cushion and extended the winning stride through the end of the game, closing it at 6 goals to 2.5.

Match Progression: 1 – .5 | 4 – 1.5 | 5 – 2.5 | 6 – 2.5

The game between Habtoor Polo and Dubai IMMO Polo teams opened with a goal from Juanji Diaz Alberdi, setting Dubai IMMO ahead in the first chukker. Habtoor Polo responded with 3 goals during the second chukker and carved a 4-goal lead by the third. Dubai IMMO set on its tail managed to close the gap in scores but ultimately Habtoor Polo kept its significant goal lead to victory and ended the match at 7 goals to 4.

Match Progression: 0 – 1 | 3 – 1 | 6 – 2 | 7 – 4

The Dubai Cup 2021 will conclude on Wednesday, 14th of April:
16:00 Subsidiary Final (round-robin)
17:00 Dubai Cup 2021 Final

Images: Shine TV

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11 April 2021, Dubai, UAE: The last of the qualifying matches for the Dubai Cup 2021 concluded with a win for Ankora – Dr. A and Habtoor Polo teams. It…

North America, Polo News

La Indiana and Park Place Advance to CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship® Semifinals

12. April 2021

Wellington, FL – April 10, 2021 – The first day of quarterfinal action in the 2021 CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship® resulted in the first two semifinalists being determined as La Indiana dominated the second half to defeat Coca-Cola 15-10, while Park Place captured the 13-10 victory over Cessna.

Showcasing one of the top performances of the season, La Indiana’s Polito Pieres finished with 11 goals and three assists on 70% shooting from the field and 80% shooting from the penalty line to overwhelm Coca-Cola in the second half of the game. After a consistent attack in the first half, Coca-Cola’s inaccuracy around goal was a factor in the final stages of the game, unable to keep pace with the highest-scoring team in the Gauntlet of Polo®. La Indiana survived some foul trouble, conceding mostly spot penalties and using a determined defense to hold off Coca-Cola in the 15-10 victory.

The highly anticipated start to the quarterfinals began with Polito and Nico Pieres trading goals for their respective teams as La Indiana and Coca-Cola felt each other out in what was setting up to be an evenly matched game. Momentum swung back and forth throughout the first half with Polito Pieres continuing to pace the La Indiana offense, accounting for all four of his team’s goals through two chukkers, while Coca-Cola produced a balanced attack, resulting in a tied 4-4 score after field goals from Julian de Lusarreta and Mackenzie Weisz. After Polito Pieres’ fifth goal, it was Nico Escobar that added his name to the scoresheet, ending the half with his first goal to give La Indiana the narrow 6-5 advantage.

Weisz opened the second half with a goal for Coca-Cola, tying the score for an incredible sixth time in the 6-6 game, but it was Polito Pieres who once again pushed his team into the lead, scoring two goals and adding an assist as part of a three-goal chukker for La Indiana. Coca-Cola’s ability to keep pace with La Indiana faltered in the fifth chukker when they missed all five shot attempts from the field, leaving the ball in the goalmouth on a couple of attempts, and opening the door for La Indiana to pull ahead by more than one. A Safety conversion for Polito Pieres followed by a Penalty 1 awarded to Escobar left La Indiana with a three-goal lead and one chukker between them and a place in the semifinals. Racing out of the fifth chukker break, La Indiana scored three goals in quick succession, two from Polito Pieres to complete a five-goal run and put the game out of reach for Coca-Cola. The impressive 11 goal performance from Pieres led La Indiana to the 15-10 victory and the first spot in the semifinals.

Polito Pieres scored an amazing 11 goals for La Indiana. ©Alex Pacheco

Leading from start to finish in the second quarterfinal, Park Place relied on their duo of Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, while shooting an accurate 10 for 16 from the field as Cessna fought hard to overcome the loss of Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario in the third chukker. The efficiency of the Park Place attack combined with their control of possession kept Cessna outside of reach in a game that was ultimately decided in open play with few penalty shots between the two teams. Felipe Vercellino tried to provide a spark in place of the injured Ferrario but was unable to help Cessna close the gap in the 13-10 defeat.

Forcing a turnover in the opening seconds, Britos ran straight to goal from midfield, displaying exceptional horsepower to open the scoring just 30 seconds into the game for Park Place. A Penalty 2 conversion for Ulloa and another field goal for Britos highlighted a strong start for Park Place, resulting in a 3-1 lead at the end of the first chukker. Using the pass to attack the Cessna goal, Park Place extended their lead further in the second chukker, receiving field goals from Ulloa and Andrey Borodin, all of which were assisted on as Cessna saw the gap widen despite Jared Zenni and Mariano Obregon Jr. converting their opportunities at goal. With Coppola effectively manning the back of the game, Ulloa and Britos completed a well-played first half, limiting Cessna to just four goals and holding the 8-4 lead entering halftime.

Park Place relied on their duo of Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, who scored a combined 12 goals. ©Alex Pacheco

Out of the game due to an injury, Ferrario was replaced by Felipe Vercellino and despite not scoring in the fourth chukker, he had a positive impact on Cessna as they began to fight their way back into the game. Holding Park Place without a field goal, Cessna shot a perfect two for two from the field while adding a Penalty 2 conversion to cut the lead in half and increase the tension on the field with two chukkers remaining. Maintaining their composure, Park Place provided a swift response in the fifth chukker, restoring their lead back to four on back-to-back goals from Britos and Ulloa. Cessna continued to try and push forward but was met with a response by Park Place each step of the way, never getting closer than three goals the rest of the way as Park Place secured the 13-10 victory.

With the victories, La Indiana and Park Place reach their third consecutive semifinal in the Gauntlet of Polo® and await the results of Sunday’s quarterfinals at the International Polo Club Palm Beach for the remaining two semifinalists.

Thanks to Saturday‘s 13-10 victory over Cessna, Park Place advances to the semifinals. ©Alex Pacheco

Polo matches at IPC are not open to the general public except for ticketed Sunday brunch. Sunday brunch will now be available through May 9, Mother‘s Day, thanks to the addition of three new Sunday game dates. Online viewing is available with a subscription at globalpolo.com.

Click here to view the full 2021 High Goal Polo Schedule.
Click here to learn more about the International Polo Club Palm Beach.
Click here to learn more about the GAUNTLET OF POLO®.

Wellington, FL – April 10, 2021 – The first day of quarterfinal action in the 2021 CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship® resulted in the first two semifinalists being determined as…

Asia, Polo News

El Basha Polo and AM Polo Teams Emerge Victorious at the Dubai Cup 2021 Qualifiers

12. April 2021

9 April 2021, Dubai, UAE: The first match of the afternoon was between El Basha and Dubai IMMO teams with Juanji Diaz Alberdi scoring the first goal from 60 yards.

Justo Cuitino took El Basha Polo on the lead with a 1 goal advantage by halftime. Ed Banner Eve extended the lead with 3 goals at the end of the third chukker. Dubai IMMO, with its work cut out for them, managed to close the gap in scores midway through the final chukker and Tomas Palacios Bacque created a tie with less than 2 minutes left on the clock. The intense play continued during the fifth chukker and Hani Jabshe scored the golden goal that sealed the win for the El Basha Polo team.

Match Progression: 0 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 5 – 3 | 6 – 6 | 7 – 6
Top scorer: Juanji Diaz Alberdi, 4 goals

The next match was between AM Polo and Ankora/Dr. A with Dr Al Abbar nicking the first goal of the game. It was a fast first chukker with AM Polo grabbing the lead courtesy of Pablo Urquiza‘s consecutive goals. The next chukker ensued with the same rigour as Khalid Alomran levelled the game but, AM Polo closed the chukker with back to back goals and kept the 2-goal lead past halftime. The last chukker saw an intense play as AM Polo defended its position and Ankora/Dr. A attempted to create a tie close to the end of the game and it was Urquiza‘s penalty shot that sealed the win for AM Polo at 7 goals to 5.

Match Progression: 3 – 1 | 5 – 3 | 6 – 4 | 7 – 5
Top Scorer: Pablo Urquiza, 5 goals

The Dubai Cup 2021 will continue on Field 3 this Sunday, 11th of April with two games:

16:00 El Basha Polo vs. Ankora/Dr. A
17:00 Dubai IMMO vs. Habtoor Polo

Images: ©Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club

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9 April 2021, Dubai, UAE: The first match of the afternoon was between El Basha and Dubai IMMO teams with Juanji Diaz Alberdi scoring the first goal from 60 yards.…

North America, Polo News

Tamera, Orea, and Casablanca Rack Up Wins as Triple Crown of Polo Continues

12. April 2021

By: Rebecca Baldridge
Photos by: ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, April 10, 2021— Tamera beat Richard Mille 14-6 on Sunday, April 4, while Orea took down Pampa Norte 13-9 on Monday afternoon and Casablanca squeezed by White Birch 13-12 on Thursday as play continued in the Triple Crown of Polo.

Last Sunday afternoon, Richard Mille (Marc Ganzi, Jeta Castagnola, Pablo Mac. Donough, and Paco de Narvaez) faced off against Tamera (Salvador Lockey, Santi Torres, Diego Cavanaugh, and Jejo Taranco) as play continued in the World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo. Both teams were rated 26 goals.

Diego Cavanaugh ran the ball downfield to put the first goal on the board at 6:28 while Pablo MacDonough converted a Penalty 2 to score Richard Mille’s first goal of the day. An answer came from Santi Torres and Jeta Castagnola responded with final goal from the field to end the chukker 2-2. Tension grew during the second chukker as Richard Mille gained the advantage. MacDonough got out in front to put the ball through at 4:30, while Tamera was unable to get on the board. The chukker ended with Richard Mille leading 3-2 but the tables were turned during the next period. Richard Mille was unable to score while Santi Torres converted a Penalty 2 for Tamera. After a fierce defensive battle, the half ended in a 3-3 tie.

Jejo Taranco started the fourth chukker with a lofted shot on goal at 6:25, putting Tamera in the lead. Santi Torres converted a Penalty 2 and with 3:52 on the clock, Diego Cavanaugh battled through a crowd in front of the goal to put the ball through the posts. With 2:32 left to play, he picked up a ball left behind by Torres and made a neck shot on goal, taking the score up to 7-3. With Richard Mille on the back foot, Castagnola was able to convert a penalty and score, but Torres ended the chukker with a goal at 9 seconds on the clock that put Tamera ahead 8-4. In the fifth chukker, Richard Mille battled to get by the Tamera defense, but the pressure was starting to show. Tamera converted three penalties and Santi Torres also scored from the field, putting the team ahead 12-4 at the end of the period.

Richard Mille came back stronger in the final chukker, and the teams alternated goals. Pablo MacDonough scored first, but Santi Torres came back with the answer. Marc Ganzi made a great shot to put another goal on the board for Richard Mille, but the response by Diego Cavanaugh saw Richard Mille go down to Tamera 14-6. Santi Torres was the high scoring player with 8 goals to his credit. Salvador Lockey was named the Most Valuable Player while Lady Blue, owned by Santi Torres, was the Best Playing Pony.

On Monday, Orea (Sugar Erskine, Justin Daniels, Torito Ruiz, and Nacho Novillo Astrada) met Pampa Norte (Waqqas Al Siddiq, Santiago Loza, Magoo Laprida, and Pedro Falabella). Orea, a 23-goal team, ceded one goal on handicap to 22-goal rated Pampa Norte.

The match began with both teams feeling each other out, and each scored their first goal from the penalty line on a Penalty 2. Back-to-back goals from Toro Ruiz, always an exciting player to watch, put Orea in the lead 3-2 at the end of the first chukker. Pampa Norte put up a struggle in the second period, with several near misses, and couldn’t penetrate Orea’s defense to make it to the uprights. Sugar Erskine put the first ball between the posts, with Ruiz adding another goal to take the score up to 5-2 with Orea in the lead. They started to run away in third period, again with Erskine scoring first followed by Ruiz, who also converted a Penalty 6. Magoo Laprida successfully shot from the penalty line to put another goal on the board for Pampa Norte, who had yet to score from the field. The half ended with Orea leading by 8-3.

Pampa Norte came back in the fourth period obviously rejuvenated, with Magoo Laprida scoring two goals from the field. Orea, however, lost a bit of steam and managed only one goal from a Penalty 4. This slight lapse in energy disappeared in the fourth period as Toro Ruiz exploded into action with three goals from the field and one from the penalty line. Magoo Laprida, doing all the heavy lifting for Pampa Norte, converted a Penalty 3 and added a goal to end the period with Pampa Norte trailing Orea by six goals, at 13-7. They rallied with a strong defense in the final chukker to keep Orea off the board, and Laprida took another two balls through the uprights. Unfortunately, it was too late and Orea’s lead was too large. Orea defeated Pampa Norte by 13-9. Toro Ruiz was the high scoring player, responsible for 10 of his team’s 13 goals, while Magoo Laprida scored 8 of Pampa Norte’s 9 goals.

Thursday afternoon White Birch (Chris Brant, Facu Llorente, Mariano Aguerre, and Santi Tocalino) took to the field against Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Barto Castagnola, and Juan Martin Nero). Casablanca, a 26-goal team, ceded three goals on handicap to White Birch.

Casablanca started the match on a hot streak, with three goals from Barto Castagnola and one from Juan Martin Nero, all from the field. White Birch made no headway against Casablanca’s defense and the period ended 4-3. The teams alternated scoring in the second period, with Santi Tocalino take two balls through the uprights for White Birch while Nero and Juancito Bollini scored to keep Casablance in the lead 6-5. The third chukker saw more back and forth play with lesser result. Chris Brant scored from the field while Grant Ganzi converted a Penalty 2 to end the half with Casablanca still one goal in the lead at 7-6.

White Birch came back in the second half determined to turn the tables on Casablanca. Their defense was effective, keeping the team in black off the board, while Santi Tocalini converted a pair of Penalty Twos to put White Birch in the lead for the first time. Another goal from Brant early in the fifth chukker put White Birch in the lead by 2. Casablanca, sensing the threat, redoubled the offense. While Facu Llorente was able to score again for White Birch, Juancito Bollini contributed a pair of goals from the field while Castagnola and Nero also found the posts to take back the lead at 11-10. Castagnola ran the ball to goal to take the score up to 12-10 early in the final chukker but a pair of goals from Brant tied things up again. Barto Castagnola knocked in the final shot to win the match for Casablanca at 13-12. Castagnola was the high scorer of the match with 5 goals to his credit.

2021 Triple Crown of Polo Livestream Schedule

Sunday 4/11
10am Richard Mille vs Santa Rita
1pm Orea Polo Team vs White Birch
4pm Casablanca vs Pampa Norte

Monday 4/12
11am Seminole Casino Coconut Creek vs Tamera

Wednesday 4/14
Semifinals

Saturday 4/17
4pm Final

All games streamed live on http://www.chukkertv.com