Audi Returns to the US Open Finals for a Third Straight Year
Buy Alex Webbe
The Audi polo team will be returning to the finals of the United States Open Polo Championship for the third consecutive year compliments of a 9-8 win over Valiente Wednesday afternoon at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Audi jumped out to an early start, and led 2-0 after the first chukker on goals from Nico Pieres and his older brother, 10-goaler Gonzalito Pieres. Valiente pecked away at the Audi team, forcing fouls and gaining field position as Nacho Astrada scored his team’s first goal off of an Audi miscue. Moments later, Nacho Astrada converted a penalty shot for a goal, and the score was tied, 2-2.
Audi rallied back behind a pair of goals from Nico Pieres and Audi ended the second period with a 4-2 lead.
Valiente seemed to get its offense on track in the third, getting a pair of goals from Miguel Astrada, a single goal from Polito Pieres (cousin of Nico and Gonzalito) and a penalty goal from Nacho Astrada. Audi picked up single goals from Nico Pieres and Rodrigo Andrade as the first half ended in a 6-6 deadlock.
Defense was the key to the fourth chukker as Audi held Valiente scoreless while picking up a goal from Gonzalito Pieres. The chukker ended with Audi carrying a narrow 7-6 lead into the fifth period.
Valiente’s Polito Pieres tied it up with his second goal of the game in the fifth, but Nico Pieres tallied his fifth marker of the game to end the chukker and keep Audi on top of an 8-7 score.
Andrade broke through a scrum in front of the Valiente goal in the sixth to extend the Audi lead to two goals, 9-7 with 1:38 left in regulation time, and it looked like the game belonged to Audi. A foul in front of the Audi goal gave Valiente a longshot to get back into the game, as Nacho Astrada converted the penalty shot for the goal, cutting the Audi lead to a single goal, once again, 9-8.
Audi took control of the ball from the throw-in with Andrade deftly carrying the ball to the side of the field where he tapped it into the sideboards and ended the match with Audi winning a third consecutive trip to the US Open finals (Audi won the Open in 2009 and lost in the finals in 2010).
Audi will be awaiting the outcome of Thursday mornings other semifinal between Lechuza and Las Monjitas to find out who they will meet in Sunday’s finals.