La Dolfina won the first Semi-final of the U.S. Open Polo Championship on Wednesday 17th April, winning 13-11 against Coca Cola at the National Polo Center.
A good pace was set in the first chukka with long open and running plays which made for fantastic watching. La Dolfina scored early followed by a quick reply from Polito who scored off a great assist from Keko. Tied up at 1 all, the rest of the chukka saw the teams rally, moving the ball from goal to goal without any conversions but in some excellent shows of ball control and team strategy.
Coca Cola couldn’t afford to make any mistakes as La Dolfina so quick onto every ball, were turning any weakness or sign of hesitation into a costly attacking team play, Poroto scooping up any loose balls and feeding them to Tomas Panelo as Rufino and Alejandro work hard clearing space.
Clever, tactical play from Coca Cola wasn’t enough to keep control of La Dolfina and they blazed away in the second chukka with 4 goals. Poroto and Tommy Panelo seemed to be telepathic as they moved around the field anticipating each other’s movements and passing the ball stick to stick in some mesmerising plays.
There was still all to play for going into halftime with just two goals in it, but La Dolfina were still definitively controlling the game showcasing this by pushing their lead anytime Coke got within a couple of goals. Another 4 goal chukka saw La Dolfina double Coca Cola’s score by the end of the 4th chukka and it seemed like the game was a wrap. Coca Cola slowly pulled back however making for an exciting last chukka.
A very clean game with only 2 penalty shots in total and all field goals made for a dynamic game for the spectators, but with La Dolfina shooting 48% from the field (number 1 in the Gauntlet) and Poroto surpassing Hilario Ulloa to be the highest scorer in the trilogy of tournaments, it was as predicted as the final whistle blew. La Dolfina took their place in the Final to see if they can go 2 for 1 in Gauntlet finals this season adding the U.S Open Polo Championship title to their USPA Gold Cup win.
The Teams:
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