Wellington, FL – February 21, 2021 – Returning to the C.V. Whitney Cup® and the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) for the first time since 2018, Adolfo Cambiaso, along with son Poroto, led Scone to a statement 12-5 victory in the feature game of the week on the Home of the U.S. Polo Assn – Field 1. Earlier in the day, Park Place bounced back from an overtime loss to overwhelm Aspen/Dutta Corp 9-3 on the Isla Carroll West field.
The defense of Park Place was the story in the opening game of the day as they limited Aspen/Dutta Corp to just three goals in their Gauntlet of Polo® debut. Park Place impressed with a disciplined team performance that conceded zero penalty attempts and held Aspen/Dutta Corp to just 1 for 9 shooting over the first four chukkers, leaving little doubt in the six-goal victory. After scoring eight goals in his first game, Hilario Ulloa displayed an increased focus on distributing the ball, finishing with three assists as all four Park Place players found the scoresheet in the victory.
Aspen/Dutta Corp showed some energy in the opening chukker with opportunities around goal but were unable to convert any of their three attempts, allowing Park Place to take the early 1-0 lead on a field goal from Juan Britos. The defensive-minded game carried into the second chukker with goals hard to come by for both teams. Stewart Armstrong came forward from the back of the game to put Aspen/Dutta Corp on the scoreboard, but Park Place’s Jack Whitman, playing in place of Andrey Borodin for the second consecutive game, responded with his first goal. In the lowest-scoring half of the season, Park Place’s Britos converted a Penalty 3 in the only goal of the third chukker to finish the half holding the slim 3-1 lead.
All four Park Place players scored goals to contribute to the win. ©Alex Pacheco
The game changed in a decisive fourth chukker as Ulloa began to assert his 10-goal status on the game. Scoring two goals while assisting on a goal from Britos, Ulloa led a 3-0 chukker in favor of Park Place while Matt Coppola continued to be effective defensively in preventing Aspen/Dutta Corp from getting any open runs to goal. Held without a goal for the third time in four chukkers, Aspen/Dutta Corp faced a 6-1 deficit with two chukkers remaining. Ulloa’s third goal of the game to open the fifth chukker completed a run of six consecutive goals for Park Place. A Penalty 1 awarded to Gringo Colombres provided a brief reprieve for Aspen/Dutta Corp, but they were unable to match the pace of Park Place, who managed their lead over the final chukker to complete the resounding 9-3 victory.
The much-anticipated debut of Scone lived up to the hype with teenager Poroto leading all players with five goals on accurate 4 for 6 shooting. With the proficient attack led by Poroto and Peke Gonzalez, Adolfo effectively managed the game from the back, keeping possession with Scone and holding Santa Clara to just 2 for 10 shooting and zero field goals in the second half. Santa Clara struggled to find the success they had in their opening game with the duo of Miguel Novillo Astrada and Luis Escobar limited to just one combined goal as Santa Clara trailed throughout the game in the 12-5 defeat.
Scone dominated the game versus Santa Clara to win 12-5. ©Alex Pacheco
Scone wasted little time in the first chukker, dominating possession and keeping Santa Clara in their own half to build a 3-0 lead. Poroto scored two goals while father Adolfo added the third, leaving Santa Clara searching for a response after the first seven minutes of play. Displaying an impressive attacking presence, Poroto scored his third goal to open the second chukker and extend Scone’s lead to four. Finding their footing, Santa Clara fought back in the remainder of the chukker, producing three goals on solid teamwork, with one goal each from Felipe Vercellino, Novillo Astrada, and Will Johnston. Refocusing defensively, Scone kept Santa Clara off the scoreboard to finish the first half and received goals from Gonzalez and Adolfo to hold a commanding 7-3 advantage.
The momentum of the rest of the game lied in the fourth chukker as Santa Clara desperately needed to close the gap, but inaccurate shooting kept them from doing so, missing their three shot attempts at goal. The young duo of Poroto and Gonzalez continued to ignite Scone offensively as they added one goal and an assist each, leaving Santa Clara facing a difficult task, trailing by six with two chukkers remaining. Despite three missed penalty attempts in the final two chukkers, Scone effectively managed their lead behind their exceptional defense, preventing Santa Clara from scoring any field goals throughout the second half and cruising to the 12-5 victory. For his five-goal performance, Poroto was awarded Most Valuable Player while Adolfo’s GT Frapera won Best Playing Pony.
Adolfo Cambiaso’s GT Frapera won Best Playing Pony. ©Alex Pacheco
Polo matches at IPC are not open to the general public except for ticketed Sunday brunch. Online viewing is available with a subscription at globalpolo.com.
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