Featuring a Sunday tripleheader in the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup hosted by Cowdray Park Polo Club, King Power and UAE kicked-off the action, as King Power emerged triumphant in a nail-biting finish 12-11.
Despite being on the backfoot in terms of shots taken, King Power capitalized on their opportunities, displaying an impressive 47% accuracy from the field. Jeronimo del Carril led the charge for King Power, scoring an impressive six goals. UAE, on the other hand, relied on turnovers to launch their counterattacks, creating ample scoring chances. Unable to match the efficiency displayed by King Power, ultimately, it was the combined efforts del Carril and his teammates that propelled King Power to a hard-fought one-goal win.
Trading goals to open the scoring, a three-goal effort on contributions from Tomas Beresford, Bartolome Castagnola Jr. and Lucas Monteverde Jr. gave UAE an early 4-2 advantage. Keep themselves in close contention, a productive third chukka from King Power allowed goals from Nicolas Pieres, Manuel Elizalde and de Carril to send the two evenly matched teams to the tents tied 5-all.
Surging in the fourth, de Carril went 2 for 2 at the penalty line, as Pieres sent King Power’s fourth goal of the chukka through the posts to claim a 9-7 lead. Maintaining pressure in the fifth, two goals from UAE’s Castagnola Jr. and Beresford were answered by another three from King Power, including de Carril’s third conversion of the match. Entering the final chukka of play with a three-goal deficit, Beresford and Castagnola Jr. attempted one final push but ultimately time was not on their side, as King Power managed to stave off the comeback and claim the 12-11 victory.
Assembling at Lawns Field 1, Park Place went-head-to-head against Monterosso with the Argentine Ambassadors Cup up for grabs. Commanding play from the outset, Monterosso secured the victory 15-7.
Despite assembling fewer scoring opportunities from the field, Monterosso effectively dominated the game excelling at penalty shots, converting seven goals with an impressive 78% accuracy rate. Park Place’s their inclination towards committing fouls proved to be the decisive factor, as they accumulated a total of nine fouls, giving Monterosso the advantage to secure the commanding eight-goal triumph.
Following back-to-back goals from Park Place’s Pieres, Monterosso promptly answered with a run of three goals, including two from Lucas Criado Jr. for a 3-2 lead. Converting two from the penalty line in the second, Ignacio Toccalino extended Monterosso’s early advantage. Battling in the third, Pieres stepped up to the line to convert two penalty goals of his own, but a final drive from Criado Jr. gave Monterosso a narrow 7-6 lead at the break.
Eager to extend their lead, David Stirling kicked-off the second half with two from the field, as Toccalino dominated in the fifth. Leaving Park Place scoreless in the chukka, Toccalino got to work on both ends of the ball, hitting two conversions and two in open play. Entering the final chukka of regulation with a comfortable six-goal lead, Monterosso added two more onto the scoreboard to cap off their spectacular offensive performance 15-7. Following their impressive victory, Monterosso were presented the Argentine Ambassadors Cup.
Wrapping up Sunday’s action, Twelve Oaks faced Park Place Vaara in a tightly contested match, with Park Place Vaara managing to clinch the 9-8 victory.
Narrowly overcoming Twelve Oaks in shots from the field, Park Place Vaara’s 40% shooting in open play was complimented with 71% accuracy from the penalty line. In a battle that came down to the final chukka, a fantastic 8-goal effort from leading scorer Hilario Ulloa combined with Twelve Oaks’ inability to capitalize at the line secured Park Place Vaara’s one-goal win.
Twelve Oaks established an early lead 4-0 in the field on a balanced effort that included all four teammates hitting the goal. Rebounding at the end of the second chukka, Park Place Vaara took advantage of Twelve Oaks’ foul troubles as Ulloa went a perfect 4 for 4 at line and tie the match at horn.
Following a successful drive from Martin Podesta to keep the momentum going for Park Place Vaara, Twelve Oaks were back on the attack with Joaquin Pittaluga finding success at the line at keep his team within one. Trading goals in the fifth, Ulloa stepped up once more in the final chukka to send back-to-back efforts through the posts and narrowly capture the 9-8 victory.
Photo Credit: ©Mark Beaumont