La Dolfina in Tortugas final
By Alex Webbe
The fact that La Dolfina (Adolfo Cambiaso, Pelon Stirling, Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martin Nero) beat Alegria (Magoo Laprida, Hilario Ulloa, Lucas Monteverde and Fred Mannix) in today’s Tortugas Open play won’t come as a surprise to the polo community. The fashion in which they did it will. In last year’s Hurlingham Open play Alegria lost to La Dolfina in a hotly-contested 13-12 game, and were hoping to build on that, but their performance today had to be a disappointment to the team members.
Following a 3-2 opening chukker, La Dolfina scored four unanswered goals in the second for a 7-2 edge. Two more goals in the third and four in the fourth were answered by a single Alegria goal as La Dolfina stretched its lead to a commanding ten goals, 13-3.
Alegria stormed onto the field in the fifth, executing shutout defense, but their attack wasn’t up to the challenge. While silencing the high-scoring La Dolfina lineup Alegria was held to two goals. La Dolfina continued to lead, 13-5.
La Dolfina continued to control the match, adding three more goals in the sixth while holding the Alegria attack to a single goal, 16-6.
With the match well in hand, La Dolfina and Alegria traded goals in the seventh and final chukker, giving La Dolfina the one-sided 18-8 win and a berth in the final of the Tortugas Open.
Adolfo Cambiaso led the La Dolfina offense with eight goals (six on penalty conversions). Pablo MacDonough added six goals and Juan Martin Nero scored four times for the win. Magoo Laprida scored three times for Alegria. Lucas Monteverde and Hilario Ulloa each scored twice (both of Ulloa’s goals came on penalty shots) and Fred Mannix scored once.
Sunday’s 4pm match between Ellerstina (Polito Pieres, Nico Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres and Facundo Pieres) and La Aguada/ Las Monjitas (Ignacio Toccalino, Pite Merlos, Eduardo N. Astrada Jr. and Alejandro Novillo Astrada) will determine the second Tortugas Open finalist.
(Photo courtesy of the AAP and Matias Callejo)