2012 USPA Piaget Gold Cup Semifinals set
By Alex Webbe
The semifinals of the 2012 USPA Piaget Gold Cup have been
established on the grounds of the International Polo club with Piaget downing
Zacara, 10-9 while Coca-Cola earned the right to move on with an 11-10 win over
ERG.
Piaget opened the day’s quarterfinal Piaget Gold Cup
action by outscoring Zacara 3-1 in the opening chukker. Facundo Pieres got Zacara on the scoreboard with
a goal from the field but Jeff Hall responded with three 40-yard penalty shots
for Piaget for the early lead.
Piaget picked up the pace in the second chukker, and
goals from the field from Gonzalito Pieres and Nico Pieres had Piaget in front,
5-1. A last minute goal from Magoo
Laprida cut the lead down to a manageable three goals, 5-2.
Laprida’s second goal of the game opened the third
chukker and cut the Piaget lead to two goals, 5-3. A goal from the field from Facundo Pieres
less than a minute later saw Zacara behind by a single goal, 5-4. Hall extended the Piaget lead to two goals,
6-4, with a goal from the field. Just
over a minute later, Nico Pieres scored to put Piaget on top, 7-4. Laprida cut the lead to two goals, once
again, as he converted a penalty shot for a goal. Piaget left the field at the end of the first
half with a 7-5 advantage.
The two teams traded goals in the fourth chukker with
Gonzalo Pieres and Nico Pieres scoring single goals from the field for Piaget. Zacara responded with a pair of penalty goals
from Facundo Pieres. After four chukkers
of play, Piaget continued to lead, 9-7.
Both teams battled up and down the field in a choppy
fifth chukker. A Piaget foul finally
sent Facundo Pieres to the penalty line where he converted the shot for a
goal. The chukker ended with Piaget
holding on to a 9-8, one goal lead.
A minute-and-a-half into the final chukker, Nico Pieres
broke loose and scored a goal to put Piaget on top, 10-8. Zacara continued to press its attack, resulting
in a foul and a 40-yard penalty shot that was taken by Facundo Pieres and
blocked. Moments later, Facundo Pieres
would convert a penalty shot to bring Zacara within a goal of the lead, 10-9,
but that would be as close as they would come as Piaget took the game and
earned a berth in the semifinals against Valiente II on Thursday at 4pm.
Facundo Pieres led the field with six goals (four on
penalty shots). Laprida added three
goals in the losing cause.
Nico Pieres and Jeff Hall scored four goals apiece with
three of Halls goals coming on penalty shots.
Gonzalito Pieres added two goals for the win.
COCA-COLA
11, ERG 10
Coca-Cola captured the fourth semifinal berth Monday
afternoon with an 11-10 win over ERG in a game that saw ERG leading until the
final seconds of the fourth chukker before giving up the lead to Coca-Cola in
the fifth.
Coca–Cola’s Luis Escobar scored the opening goal of the
game on a penalty shot followed by a goal from the field from teammate Hilario
Ulloa. Agustin Merlos got ERG on the
scoreboard with a 40-yard penalty conversion, to trail 2-1.
Second chukker action had the ERG offense running all
over Coca-Cola. Agustin Merlos opened with
a goal from the field followed by penalty conversion from Escobar. Errant fouls by Coca-Cola had Agustin Merlos converting
a pair of penalty goals with Sebastian Merlos authoritatively driving the ball
through the goal posts for a 5-3 ERG lead.
Ulloa scored once from the field and added another on a
60-yard penalty shot to tie it up at 5-5.
Agustin Merlos added another penalty goal and scored from the field again
for a 7-5 ERG halftime lead.
Sebastian got ERG off on the right hoof in the opening
seconds of the fourth chukker, taking the opening throw-in and racing directly
to the Coca-Cola goal where he drove the ball through the posts for a score,
but the team didn’t fare as well as the chukker ran on. Arellano scored on three penalty shots-the
last coming in the final seven seconds of the period for an 8-8 tie.
Both defenses tightened in the fifth with goals coming at
a premium. Coca-Cola team captain
Gillian Johnston finally broke free and scored the go-ahead goal, 9-8. As the period ended, Coca-Cola rode off the
field with its first lead since the second chukker.
A minute into the sixth period, Ulloa scored from the field
to extend the Coca-Cola lead to two goals, 10-8. Paco de Narvaez responded with a minute later
to bring ERG to within a goal at 10-9.
Escobar scored his third goal of the game with a goal from the field,
and Coca-Cola was ahead by two goals again, 11-9. With ERG trying frantically to catch up,
Agustin Merlos scored a goal with under a minute to play and the team
struggling to tie it up once again. Time
expired as the teams returned to midfield for a final throw-in and Coca-Cola
celebrated the 11-10 win and an appointment with Valiente I in the first
tournament semifinal on Thursday morning at 10 am.
Agustin Merlos set the pace for Erg with seven
goals. Sebastian Merlos added two goals
and de Narvaez was credited with one goal on the day.
Ulloa led the Coca-Cola team with four goals. Arellano and Escobar each scored three goals. Johnston scored once in the win.