USA hammered by Hong
Kong in Super Nations Cup, 13-6
Fouls cost the USA team (Carlitos Gracida, Andres Weisz, Nic
Roldan and Mike Azzaro) dearly Wednesday afternoon in the opening round of play
in the 2014 24-goal Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup at Tianjin Goldin
Metropolitan Polo Club as the defending championship Hong Kong team (John Paul
Clarkin, Lucas Lalor, Gaston Moore and John Fisher) galloped over the Americans
13-6.
Under a steady rain, the Hong Kong foursome did a better job
of controlling the ball and took advantage of far too many USA miscues, converting
most of their goals on penalty shots.
Hong Kong scored early and often as they charged out to an
8-4 halftime lead. The US team rallied in
the opening minutes of the fourth chukker, scoring consecutive goals to cut the
Hong Kong lead to 8-6, but that was where it ended.
Hong Kong shut down the American offense for the balance of
the game, outscoring them 5-0 through the closing chukkers and riding away with
the 13-6 win.
In the second semifinal of the tournament, England (Jack
Richardson, George Meyrick, Max Charlton and Tom Morley) will face Argentine
(Pablo Dorignac, Tomas Ruiz Guinazu, Agustin Marquez and Martin Tassara) Thursday
afternoon. The winner will play Hong
Kong for the championship while the loser will battle the USA for third place.