Valiente Defeats Audi In Overtime In  World Polo League

Audi teammates Marc Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan and Pelon Stirling.

“Sometimes when you see you have a chance, you try to keep the ball and take your chance,” MacDonough said. “To score you have to shoot. Sometimes it goes in, sometimes it goes out. We were lucky it went in.”

The game marked the successful U.S. 26-goal debut of 13-year-old Poroto Cambiaso, son of 10-goal polo great Adolfo Cambiaso. Cambiaso replaced team sponsor and WPL co-founder Bob Jornayvaz in the lineup. It was the first time MacDonough played in a game with Cambiaso.

Poroto Cambiaso of Valiente reaches to hook Marc Ganzi of Audi

“He is amazing,” MacDonough said. “He will definitely be one of the best players in the world in maybe four or five years. He doesn’t need ten years. I would say five or six at the most he will be there for sure.”

The crowd was mesmerized by Cambiaso stripping Roldan of the ball and weaving his way through defenders twice his size. 

Agustin Nero of Valiente appears to be flying as he hits a reverse neck shot.

Cambiaso and Torres each added one goal for Valiente which started out with a 2-0 lead on handicap. It was the first time Valiente played together as a team.

“It was the very first time we were together,” MacDonough said. “It was a new tournament and the atmosphere of a new season. I am very happy to be a part of this new project, the World Polo League. I hope this goes on for a long time. 

“I think the World Polo League is definitely here to stay,” MacDonough said. “It’s the very first year and it’s already showing some new people who are very interested and coming to watch. It’s only the first few games and that means something. It shows that 26 goals is the best level. Argentina is the highest but the best tournaments here in America is the World Polo League.”

Santi Torres of Valiente reaches on the near side to hook Pelon Stirling of Audi.

The evenly-matched teams battled throughout the game. After a scoreless opening chukker, Audi bounced back with two goals from Roldan and one from Sterling to take the lead, 3-2.

Audi extended its lead to 5-2 in the third chukker before Valiente scored its first goal from the field with 1:40 left on Torres’ great cut shot and another from MacDonough scoring off a high angled goal with three seconds left to trail, 5-4, at the half.

Pelon Stirling of Audi looks to hit downfield with Pablo MacDonough defending.

MacDonough lofted another goal through the air to tie the game 5-5 with 4:58 left in the fourth chukker. MacDonough weaved his way through a crowd of defenders to score enabling Valiente to take the lead for the first time, 6-5, with 1:55 left.

Ganzi converted a 30-yard penalty shot to tie the game 6-6 with 7:23 left. Cambiaso then took off after winning the throw-in to regain the lead for Valiente, 7-6. Both teams had scoring opportunities early in the sixth chukker before Roldan hit a 30-yard penalty shot to tie the game again, 7-7. Both teams lost challenges and had two more scoring opportunities before time ran out sending the game into overtime for MacDonough’s heroics.

Nic Roldan of Audi reaches to hook Agustin Nero of Valiente as he hits the ball.

“I thought to myself I hope Pablo’s shot goes in,” said Torres, less than 24 hours after winning the 20-goal Sterling Cup with his Colorado teammates Rob Jornayvaz, Diego Cavanagh and Nick Johnson with a 9-8 win over defending champion Valiente on Cavanagh’s incredible safety conversion.

“I am very happy,” Torres said. “It’s been a great two days. This team was a lot of fun. We haven’t played together. It was a long game and really tough. Luckily, we pulled it out again. Everyone was good teammates.” 

Sterling’s black mare Oriental Reina was named Best Playing Pony.

Pelon Stirling’s Best Playing Pony Oriental Reina.

A packed house of fans were treated to a disc jockey playing live music throughout the day, free food and refreshments and viewing the game and replays on the club’s Jumbotron.

Fans were thoroughly entertained by the clubs DJ between chukkers. Photos by Gabrielle Stodd

The exciting new league, that will offer major prize money starting in the semifinals, is preserving the highest level of polo and its rich, hallowed tradition in the U.S. 

The WPL game finals will be held Sundays on Field Two at Grand Champions at 4 p.m. and semifinal games at Valiente Polo Farm, Fields One and Two. Several games will also be held

The Grand Champions awards table, MVP chair and coveted All Star Challenge Draw Tournament trophy.

In addition to the World Polo League, season highlights for 2019 at Grand Champions are the Sterling Cup, March 1-31 $50,000 National 12-Goal Tournament, March 1-16 John T. Oxley Memorial and March 3-24 $100,000 World Cup Tournament, a unique 0-40-goal, winner-take-all single-elimination tournament.