Crab Orchard rolls into the semifinals with a 13-9 win
By Alex Webbe
Playing with 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso (a player most consider “the best in the worldâ€) has its advantages, Wellington local Julio Arellano found out on Saturday afternoon as their Crab Orchard team rolled over Orchard Hill, 13-10, to earn a spot in Wednesday’s semifinals of the 2010 US Open Championship at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
An 8-goal player himself, Arellano scored six times as the two teams faced off in a do or die match. The winner would move forward. The loser would be eliminated from further Open play.
Playing with him (Cambiaso) is amazing,†Arellano said, “He attracts so much attention on the field that I find I have more time to prepare for a shot or a pass. He just ends up making every one on the team play better,†he added.
Cambiaso scored the first goal of the game and Arellano converted two penalty shots for goals in the first chukker to give Crab Orchard a 3-1 lead after the opening chukker of play. Orchard Hill got a goal on a penalty conversion from their own 10-goaler, Pablo MacDonough, but it didn’t look good for them from the onset.
Cambiaso returned to the field after changing horses after the first chukker and quickly made it 4-1 on a great individual effort. Pablo MacDonough got Orchard Hill on the scoreboard, converting a pass from teammate Lucas Criado, but Cambiaso would end the chukker with his third goal of the game.
Just when it looked like Crab Orchard was going to put the game away, Orchard Hill fought back. Two penalty goals from MacDonough and a goal from the field from Lucas Criado cut the Crab Orchard lead to a pair of goals, with Arellano converting one penalty goal and adding another from the field.
The fourth chukker, however, belonged to Cambiaso and his teammates. Three goals from the Argentine youngster, Hilario Ulloa, were complimented by another goal from Cambiaso, putting Crab Orchard up 11-6. Criado managed the sole goal from Orchard Hill.
Two more goals from Arellano in the fifth period were answered by a single penalty conversion from MacDonough, and Crab Orchard found itself out in front, 13-7 with just seven-and-a-half minutes left in the game.
A hard bump knocked Ulloa off of his mount in the sixth chukker, and time out was taken before he returned to the game. Orchard continued to press its attack as Crab Orchard was content to play defense. Two more goals from Criado and a final goal from MacDonough ended the scoring with Crab Orchard taking the game, 13-10. The win put Crab Orchard (3-1) firmly in second place and will pit them against Valiente in Wednesday’s semifinals.
PONY EXPRESS 13, PIAGET 9
In earlier action Pony Express built up a 6-5 lead in the first half before going on to defeat Piaget 13-9 in US Open play.
Nick Roldan scored the first three goals of the game before Pony Express came alive. A penalty conversion from Carlos Gracida got Pony Express on the scoreboard, but early leanings had it going Piaget/s way.
Roldan and Gracida exchanged single goals in the second chukker before Pony Express began to assert itself.
Roldan opened the third chukker with a goal before Pony Express took control of the game. A Gracida penalty goal was followed by a goal from team captain Bob Daniels and a pair of well-executed goals from Bautista Heguy as Pony Express left the field at halftime with a hard-earned 6-5 advantage.
The second half was all Pony Express as it outscored Piaget and took the match by a 13-9 score.
US Open action will continue on Sunday, April 11 with a noon match between Valiente (2-0) and Bendabout/Wanderers (0-2) while Las Monjitas and Lechuza Caracas will battle it out for the final semifinal position.