June 7, 2022

Scone Polo 9 – 8 Vikings The Castle Ground 
Great Oaks LL 13 – 7 Park Place The Princes’ Ground

The final day of league play in the Cartier Queen’s Cup kicked off with Scone Polo, looking to enter the quarter-finals with an undefeated 4-0 record, in action against Vikings, who were in need of a victory to reach a penalty shootout. Assembling on the Castle Ground, Rosendo Torreguitar initiated a strong first half effort from Scone Polo, receiving a pass from Adolfo Cambiaso and hitting a neckshot through the goal just 15 seconds into play. Vikings mounted a response due to the exceptional play of Siri Evjemo-Nysveen, who converted both her shots in the first and second chukkas. Turning to young Poroto Cambiaso, Scone Polo’s young talent scored two penalty goals while adding a third goal off a pass from father Adolfo to put his team ahead by one. A back-and-forth first half concluded with the teams tied at 5-all as Vikings continued to use Evjemo-Nysveen at the front of the game as she added her third goal on perfect shooting to highlight Vikings’ attack entering the half-time break. The father-son Cambiaso duo took over in the fourth chukka, combining for three goals while holding Vikings scoreless to instantly change the dynamic of the match and put Scone Polo firmly ahead with two chukkas remaining. Striking again, Adolfo found Poroto for a fourth consecutive goal as time began running out for Vikings to generate a comeback. Increasing the pressure in the final minutes, Mark Tomlinson found the goal on two different occasions to help Vikings pull back within one with just under four minutes still left on the clock. Withstanding a final run from Evjemo-Nysveen, Scone Polo held on for the 9-8 victory and joining Dubai Polo Team as the only teams with a perfect 4-0 record. 

Reconvening on The Princes’ Ground for the last of 30 league matches, Great Oaks LL and Park Place met in a match with everything on the line. Holding 2-1 records, the victor would immediately enter the quarter-finals, while the loser would join the evening’s penalty shootout to advance. A fast, open match featured two attacking teams going shot for shot in the early stages. Facundo Pieres and Fran Elizalde added one goal each for Park Place, while Great Oaks LL’s duo of Cruz Heguy and Dillon Bacon answered with goals of their own for a 2-2 score. Great Oaks LL’s Juan Martin Nero broke the stalemate in the second chukka with Great Oaks LL yet to miss a shot through two chukkas of play. On the other side, Park Place struggled to convert their scoring opportunities in the first half, shooting just 33% as their deficit grew to two by halftime, with Bacon and Heguy striking once again for a 6-4 lead. Attempting to seal their ticket into the quarter-finals, a crucial fourth chukka set the tone for the remainder of the match. Park Place was kept off the scoreboard, while Nero and James Beim combined for two goals in a well-rounded team effort from Great Oaks LL. Limited to just one field goal throughout the entire second half, Park Place entered the sixth chukka trailing by four and despite two penalty conversions for Pieres, they fell short in challenging a Great Oaks LL team that shot an accurate 65% on 17 shots to claim this important 13-7 victory and secure their place in the weekend’s quarter-finals.

A shootout was contested shortly after the final game between Park Place, La Magdeleine and Monterosso with two places up for grabs in the quarter-finals. Showcasing exceptional accuracy, Park Place’s Facundo Pieres and La Magdeleine’s Pablo MacDonough advanced, while Monterosso was eliminated from the competition.

Saturday’s Quarter Final Fixtures 

12:00 pm – Dubai Polo Team vs Park Place at TBC
3:00 pm – Great Oaks LL vs La Magdeleine at TBC. 

The winners of this 3pm game will receive the Platinum Jubilee Trophy, created specifically by Guards Polo Club to honour HM The Queen’s 70 years on the throne. 

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

UAE Polo Team 12 – 8 Marques de Riscal Manor Farm
King Power 12 – 10 Monterosso     Noel Farm 

A crucial day for three 2-1 teams looking to secure their place in the Cartier Queen’s Cup quarter-finals. Play began with UAE Polo Team facing Marques de Riscal at Manor Farm. The opening chukka proved to be a display of skill from Bartolome Castagnola Jnr as he scored all three goals for UAE thanks to perfect shooting from the field and a Penalty 2 conversion. Holding an early 3-1 lead, UAE Polo Team looked to have the momentum in their favour, but Marques de Riscal produced a strong end to the first half against the defending champions, scoring four of the final five goals. In search of their first victory, Guillermo (Sapo) Caset led the charge with three goals during this stretch, while UAE Polo Team were limited to just one shot in the third chukka, trailing 5-4 at half-time. A foul-ridden fourth chukka resulted in the two teams exchanging penalty conversions, including a Penalty 3 for Louis Aznar, substituting for Alejandro Aznar for Marques de Riscal. Still behind by one, UAE Polo Team stepped up the pressure, forcing Marques de Riscal into two more fouls that ultimately led to penalty goals from the sticks of Castagnola and Tomas Beresford. The latter was the catalyst in the fifth chukka, Beresford adding a goal and an assist from the field to push UAE Polo Team ahead by three. With a UAE victory in doubt at half-time, Sheikha Maitha’s team finished this game with an 8-1 run to deliver a 12-8 win and a place in this weekend’s quarter-finals. 

The second match of the day featured 2-1 King Power against 2-1 Monterosso, with the game holding heavy implications for advancing in the tournament. Fighting for the victory, a back-and-forth game ensued, coming down to the final chukka to determine the winner. Monterosso received a boost with 9-goaler David (Pelon) Stirling returning to the line-up, along with Diego Cavanagh replacing Ignacio Toccalino. The rain poured, making for difficult conditions, but Stirling wasted little time in scoring his first goal after Matias Gonzalez stole the ball and set up Stirling on a run to goal. Stepping into the King Power line-up for a second time, Pablo MacDonough highlighted a strong response from King Power; they would score five consecutive goals over the first and second chukkas to take a commanding lead. However, in a game full of alternating momentum, Cavanagh brought Monterosso back in contention from the penalty line where he converted three opportunities and helped his team pull even at 6-all at half-time. Monterosso struck first in the second half with consecutive goals from Alessandro Bazzoni and Cavanagh to hold a narrow lead. However, a resilient King Power battled back in the fifth, completed by a long pass from MacDonough that was carried through the goal by Top Srivaddhanaprabha. Deadlocked at 9-all and a spot in the quarter-finals on the line, Mackenzie Weisz stole the ball in front of goal to score his fifth goal of the day to put King Power ahead by one. Quickly followed by a Penalty 2 conversion from MacDonough, King Power claimed a hard-fought 12-10 victory to improve to 3-1 and join UAE Polo Team at the top of League Two. 

Wednesday’s Fixtures 

12:00 pm – Scone Polo vs Vikings (ground TBC) 
3:00 pm – Great Oaks LL vs Park Place on The Princes’ Ground

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

La Magdeleine 9 – 8 Thai Polo NP Coworth Park 1
Clinova 10 – 9 Park Place Vaara     Zacara 

The final matches in League One ended in dramatic fashion, beginning with La Magdeleine facing Thai Polo NP at Coworth Park. After substituting in the King Power line-up, Pablo MacDonough was back in the saddle for La Magdeleine. However, it was Thai Polo NP who struck first after a long shot from the kickboards by Ignacio Negri found its way through the posts. Starting with one goal on handicap, Thai Polo NP maintained the lead throughout most of the second chukka until La Magdeleine scored on consecutive plays, including Ollie Cudmore jumping out of the throw-in and taking the ball straight to goal to tie the match at 3-3. Two missed penalties for Thai Polo NP to end the first half allowed La Magdeleine to take a slim one-goal lead (4-3) into the second half after MacDonough’s second goal of this match. Just 45 seconds into the second half, Ned Hine converted a Penalty 2, ending La Magdeleine’s run and swinging the momentum in Thai Polo NP’s favour. On a long shot from Cesar Crespo that was sailing wide, Negri stuck his mallet out, redirecting it for an incredible goal and restoring the one-goal lead for Thai Polo NP. That advantage remained into the sixth chukka until La Magdeleine’s MacDonough stepped into the spotlight. Scoring three unanswered goals, two from the penalty line and one from the field, MacDonough pushed his team ahead by two. Pulling within one with just over two minutes left, Thai Polo NP were unable to score the equaliser as their tournament ended in this 9-8 defeat, while La Magdeleine finish with a 2-2 record and hopes of qualifying for this weekend’s quarter-finals.

With a victory ensuring their place in the quarter-finals, 2-1 Park Place Vaara met 0-3 Clinova at Zacara in a match where the advantage swung between the two teams. Showcasing their relentless passing attack in the first two chukkas, Park Place Vaara dominated possession to keep Clinova pinned in their own half and build a significant lead. Scoring the first six goals of the game, Park Place Vaara received three goals and an assist from Hilario Ulloa, while Santos Merlos and Juan Britos were also impacting the scoreboard with accurate passes and finishes around goal. During this stretch, Clinova managed just one shot attempt, leaving a difficult task in overcoming a six-goal deficit. Needing a spark to finish the half, Clinova found one from Jared Zenni, who added a goal and an assist during a three-goal run to cut Park Place Vaara’s lead to four (7-3) at the half-time bell. Exiting the break looking like a different team, Clinova exploded for four unanswered goals led by the phenomenal play of Alejandro Muzzio. The 7-goaler converted both his shot attempts, while assisting on goals to Luke Wiles and Malcolm Borwick to instantly change the dynamic of the match, bringing the game level (7-7) against a stunned Park Place Vaara team. No whistles were blown in a quick fifth chukka as Park Place Vaara tried to regain control of the game but were unable to find the mark on any of their six shot attempts, setting up a thrilling sixth chukka. Muzzio’s third goal gave Clinova their first lead of the match at 8-7 as Park Place Vaara still had not scored in the second half,  their usual high-powered attack going quiet. Borwick pushed the lead to two thanks to a penalty conversion, but Park Place Vaara regrouped and quickly brought the game back to even after young Joshua Hyde sent a Penalty 2 through the goal. Returning to the lineup with 45 seconds left in the game, Clinova won possession and Malcolm Borwick took it all the way to goal for Clinova’s first victory in this 10-9 triumph. 

Tuesday’s Fixtures 

12:00 pm – Marques de Riscal vs UAE Polo Team at Manor Farm
3:00 pm – Monterosso vs King Power at Noel Farm

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO