Daily Racing Form-DRF Bets Victorious over Colorado in Opening Game of 2018 U.S. Open Polo Championship
A pulsating and heated match between Colorado and The Daily Racing Form-DRF Bets (DRF) ended with a 13-11 victory for DRF in the first game of the 2018 U.S. Open Polo Championship at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.
The first half of the match unfolded with both teams exchanging similar goals, with neither able to separate themselves, setting the tone for an exhilarating opening match. Hilario Ulloa and Mariano Obregon proved infallible from both the field and the penalty line, taking advantage of each opportunity by converting all three attempts from the penalty line and three of four from the field in the opening half to stay within reach of Colorado. Sporting a 25-goal team, Colorado was able to overcome the one-goal on handicap to control play in the first half due to 10 DRF fouls in the opening half, in what turned out to be a very physical game. Ultimately, DRF used a dominant second half defensive performance to limit Colorado to just four shots in the second half, while continuing to convert their chances to finish 9 for 14 from the field to finish with the victory.
After a slow, opening two chukkas that saw the teams trade goals, the intensity of the match increased in the third chukka, as a hard uneven bump from Agustin Obregon resulted in two yellow cards and a two-minute disadvantage for DRF. Just minutes later, Mariano Obregon received a yellow of his own for dangerous riding, as Colorado looked to take advantage but were only able to outscore DRF 3-2 in a third chukka that saw four yellow cards. Colorado’s ability to find more scoring chances from the field and the penalty line resulted in a 6-5 lead at halftime.
The second half displayed an organized DRF team that saw the duo of Hilario Ulloa and Mariano Obregon lead the way offensively, while Jared Zenni and Agustin Obregon executed numerous ride offs and steals on the defensive side of the ball. Holding Colorado to one shot and zero goals in the 4th and 5th chukkas, DRF gained the lead behind two goals each from Ulloa and Mariano Obregon to take a 9-6 lead into the final chukka. The sixth chukka provided an exciting finish as the teams combined for nine goals in the final chukka alone, with the majority coming from the penalty line or directly from the throw-in. DRF was able to maintain their lead with Ulloa scoring three goals, bringing his total to seven for the game and displaying the 10-goal level that resulted in DRF claiming the first victory of the US Open.