RH Polo and Valiente Remain Undefeated in 2018 Cartier Queen’s Cup
The seventh day of the 2018 Cartier Queen’s Cup saw RH Polo defeat Emlor 10-7 and Valiente defeat Monterosso 11-9 at Black Bears Polo Club to remain undefeated and improve their records to 2-0.
For the second consecutive game, RH Polo got off to a quick start behind the formidable duo of Sapo Caset and Rodrigo Andrade. Using a fast, high pressure style of play, RH Polo were able to outshoot Emlor 18-8, while also shooting an effective 50% from the field but their foul troubles kept Emlor within reach throughout the game. Missed opportunities for Emlor became a factor as they converted just 4 of their 7 penalty attempts in the game, as RH Polo dominated the sixth chukker 3-0 to pull away and complete the 10-7 victory.
RH Polo’s Martin Podesta opened the scoring inside the first minute, along with a field goal from Andrade as RH Polo raced out to a 2-0 lead. Despite being outshot 9-1 in the first two chukkas, Emlor remained within two goals, due to two penalty conversions, yet the possession was controlled by RH Polo early in the game. A scoreless third chukka that saw the two teams miss a combined six shots, maintained RH Polo’s two goal lead with Emlor fortunate to be trailing by just two goals. RH Polo’s six first half fouls compared to just two for Emlor was a factor that prevented RH Polo from extending their lead.
Emlor quickly erased the two-goal deficit in the fourth chukka with Agustin Merlos and Diego Cavanagh scoring a goal each, while RH Polo was held off the scoresheet for the second consecutive chukka. The outcome of the game came down to the sixth chukka with the teams tied at 7-7, and it was RH Polo that were able to pull away as Sapo Caset took over, scoring two goals from the field and one from the penalty line on perfect shooting, while Emlor’s third missed penalty of the game sealed their fate and secured the victory for RH Polo.
The second game of the day featured another dominant performance from Valiente that mirrored their first game of the tournament. Converting at a high rate from the field, Valiente built a large seven-goal lead in the first half with Adolfo Cambiaso and Magoo Laprida leading the attack. Shooting just 38% from the penalty line on eight attempts prevented Valiente from completely separating themselves in the game but 11 first half fouls for Monterosso and an inability to slow the Valiente attack resulted in the convincing victory for Valiente.
Using throw-in victories to start their attacks early in the game, Valiente’s Laprida converted both of his shot attempts to push Valiente to the early 3-0 lead. After Santiago Toccalino scored his first goal of the game on a penalty 2, Valiente scored five consecutive goals, opening up an 8-1 lead. The ability of Cambiaso to come forward provided problems for Monterosso, as they applied pressure on the ball, resulting in numerous fouls and providing Valiente with penalty attempts and the field advantage. Shooting 6 for 8 from the field, while holding Monterosso to just 1 for 3 on their shot attempts, resulted in a commanding seven-goal lead at halftime, despite Valiente already missing four penalty attempts.
The 2nd half saw Valiente once again ease up on the pressure and intensity, opting for a long distance shooting tactic, allowing Monterosso to gain some goal scoring momentum and make Valiente sweat in the 6th and final chukker as they reduced their once eight goal deficit to just one goal with time running out. A final goal from Cambiaso, his fourth of the game, finished the 11-9 victory for Valiente to win their second game of the Cartier Queen’s Cup.