RS Murus Sanctus Defeats La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team to Reach Hurlingham Open Final
With their sights set on the Hurlingham Open final, RS Murus Sanctus took the next step, defeating La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team 16-12 to reach the final and await the winner of Ellerstina and La Natividad/Las Monjitas.
Executing an effective strategy that saw Sapo Caset, Francisco Elizalde and Facundo Sola all attack offensively and Alfredo Cappella protect against the La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team counter attack, RS Murus Sanctus amassed twice as many shots on goal to win the open play battle. Conceding few easy scoring opportunities to La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team, RS Murus Sanctus made their opponent convert from the penalty line where Adolfo Cambiaso and Pablo MacDonough combined for accurate 6 for 7 shooting, but it was not enough to overcome the proficient RS Murus Sanctus attack that scored 16 goals to defeat the defending champions.
Still without two 10-goalers in David Stirling and Juan Martin Nero, La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team entered the game with one less goal on handicap, but quickly demonstrated their talent in the first chukka, led by Adolfo Cambiaso who scored one goal and assisted on another as part of a three-goal first chukka. Converting just 1 of their first 8 shot attempts, RS Murus Sanctus continued to face a two-goal deficit after Caset and MacDonough traded penalty conversions. Contained through two chukkas, Facundo Sola broke through and emerged as the top player on the field during a 5-1 run in favour of RS Murus Sanctus. Scoring three field goals while assisting on the fourth, Sola gave RS Murus Sanctus their first lead since the opening goal of the game, heading into halftime with the 8-7 advantage.
Carrying their momentum into the second half, RS Murus Sanctus held La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team off the scoreboard from the field for the second consecutive chukka, with a penalty conversion for Cambiaso accounting for their only offense. With just one goal separating the two teams, it was three straight goals for Caset that changed the tone of the match. RS Murus Sanctus extended their lead to five, halfway through the sixth chukka, but the father-son duo led La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team back into the game. Two goals for Adolfo Cambiaso, followed by one goal from Poroto brought La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team within two as the pressure increased into the final minutes. Determined to book their spot in the final, RS Murus Sanctus dominated possession in the final chukka, shooting at goal seven times and keeping La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team pinned in their own half. Goals from Sola and Elizalde secured the 16-12 victory and the first spot in the 2020 Hurlingham Open final.
Wednesday 11/18 at 4:00 p.m., on field 2, the recent winner of the 80th Tortugas Country Club Open, Ellerstina Johor vs. The Nativity-Las Monjitas.
The second semifinal of the Drysdale Cup will be played on the 18th, from 11.00, in a match in which La Dolfina Polo Ranch vs. La Irenita , on field 4.
Teams and progression:
RS Murus Sanctus: Facundo Sola 9 (4 goals), Francisco Elizalde 8 (5), Guillermo Caset (h) 10 (7, four from a penalty) (He received a yellow card in the fourth chukker) and Alfredo Cappella Barabucci 8. Total: 35.
La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team: Adolfo Cambiaso (h) 10 (6, three from a penalty and one from a corner) (He received two yellow cards in the sixth chukker), Adolfo Cambiaso (n) 6 (2), Pablo Mac Donough 10 (4 , two penalties) and Ignacio Laprida 8. Total: 34.
RS Murus Sanctus: 1-3, 2-4, 6-6, 8-7, 11-8, 14-11 and 16-12.
Judges: Gastón Lucero and Martín Pascual. Referee: Guillermo Villanueva (h).
To see the best plays of the game, click HERE , where you can download a video from ESPN.
Games for Wednesday 11/18:
11.00 – Field 4 – Drysdale Semifinal
La Dolfina Polo Ranch: Guillermo Terrera (h) 8, Juan Britos (h) 8, Diego Cavanagh 9 and Alejo Taranco 8. Total: 33.
La Irenita: Martín Podestá (h) 7, Juan Martín Zavaleta (h) 8, Facundo Fernández Llorente 7 and Juan Martín Zubía 8. Total: 30.
Judges: Federico Martelli and Martín Aguerre. Referee: Gonzalo López Vargas.
16.00 – Field 2 – Open Semifinal
Ellerstina Johor: Facundo Pieres 10, Hilario Ulloa, 10, Gonzalo Pieres (h) 9 and Nicolás Pieres 10. Total: 39.
La Natividad-Las Monjitas: Camilo Castagnola 8, Pablo Pieres 10, Bartolomé Castagnola (h) 9 and Ignatius Du Plessis 9. Total: 36.
Judges: Gastón Lucero and Guillermo Villanueva (h). Referee: Martín Pascual.
The first Drysdale Cup finalist:
La Ensenada-La Aguada: Segundo Bocchino 6, Alfredo Bigatti 8, Alejandro Muzzio 8 and Jerónimo Del Carril 7. Total: 29.