Coca-Cola stuns Valiente in 10-7Piaget Gold cup win
By Alex Webbe
Coca-Cola (Gillian Johnston, Sebastian Merlos, JulioArellano and Facundo Obregon) scored a stunning 10-7 upset of the favored Valienteteam (Bob Jornayvaz, Santi Torres, Sapo Caset and Adolfo Cambiaso) Sundayafternoon as action continues in the 2014 USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the InternationalPolo Club.
Valiente entered the match, on the heels of their convincingwin over Orchard Hill in the final of the 26-goal C. V. Whitney Cup just a weekago, and looked to make short work of a Coca-Cola team that was eliminated inthe first round of the Whitney Cup.
Coca-Cola scored the first two goals of the game withFacundo Obregon converting a 40-yard penalty shot, 1-0, followed by a goal fromthe field from team captain Gillian Johnston on a well-executed 100 yard runfor a score, 2-0. Valiente 10-goalerAdolfo Cambiaso got his team on the scoreboard with 21 seconds on the clock,cutting the Coca-Cola lead to a single goal, 2-1.
Both defenses stepped it up in the second frame, but theedge went to Valiente. Fouls cost theCoca-Cola team as Caset converted a pair of penalty shots, giving Valiente a3-2 edge while Coca-Cola was unable to break through the Valiente defense.
American 9-goaler Julio Arellano tied it up midway throughthe third chukker, 3-3, but Cambiaso answered right back for Valiente for a 4-3advantage. Obregon missed on a 60-yardpenalty shot that was deflected over the end line and then scored on theensuing Safety to make it 4-4. SebastianMerlos gave the lead to Coca-Cola on a backhander following a penalty attempt,5-4, but a great individual effort by Cambiaso had it all even at 5-5 witheight seconds on the clock.
Cambiaso intercepted a backhand shot by Johnston near theCoca-Cola goal and raced past Merlos for the go-ahead score, 6-5. A late foul sent Obregon to the penalty line wherehe converted a short penalty shot to knot it u once again at 6-6.
Coca-Cola broke it open in the fifth with three unanswered goalsfor the 9-6 lead. Arellano scored thefirst goal of the chukker in the opening 20 seconds. Johnston scored the first of two fifth chukkergoals at the 6:22 mark, following it up with another goal from the field at3:54. Valiente had a number ofopportunities that they squandered, falling behind 9-6 with one chukker left toplay.
Johnston scored her fourth goal of the match to make it 10-6as Valiente struggled to coordinate an effective attack. Caset scored the final goal of the game atthe 2:51 mark and Coca-Cola held on for the 10-7 win.
Johnston led the Coca-Cola offense with four goals and wasnamed MVP for her efforts. Obregon scored three goals on penalty shots; Arellano added two goals from the field andMerlos scored once for the win. Cambiasoset the pace for Valiente with four goals. Caset was credited with three goals in the loss.
Bob Jornayvaz’s horse Karidad, played by Adolfo Cambiaso won Best Playing Pony honors.
LECHUZA CARACAS 10,CRAB ORCHARD 9 OT
Earlier in the day Nico Pieres stole the limelight from hisbrother, 10-goaler Facundo Pieres), scoring a game high seven goals, includingthe overtime winner, in a 10-9 Lechuza Caracas (Victor Vargas, Nico Pieres,Juan Martin Nero and Nico Espain) victory over Crab Orchard (George Rawlings,Facundo Pieres, Magoo Laprida and Matias Magrini).
Magoo Laprida opened the scoring for Crab Orchard, 1-0, butNico Pieres leveled it at 1-1 just moments alter. Facundo Pieres converted a 40-yard penaltyshot to close out the chukker with Crab Orchard on top of a 2-1 score.
A 60-yard penalty conversion by Facundo Pieres gave CrabOrchard a 3-1 advantage in second period play. A goal from the field from Matias Magrini ended the chukker with Crab Orchardriding off the field with the 4-1 lead.
Nico Espain and Facundo Pieres traded goals to open thethird, but gals from Nico Pieres and Juan Martin Nero had Lechuza Caracaswithin a goal of the lead, 5-4, as the first half ended.
The fourth chukker was all Lechuza Caracas. Nico Pieres opened the scoring with a 60-yardpenalty conversion for a goal followed by a goal from the field. The Lechuza Caracas shut down the CrabOrchard attack and took the lead for the first time all day, 6-5.
Facundo Pieres leveled the score at 6-6 with a penaltyconversion at the start of the fifth followed by a goal from the field,7-6. Laprida’s second goal of the game hadCrab Orchard in front, 8-6. FacundoPieres converted a 30-yard penalty shot for the final goal of the chukker, 9-6.
A determined Lechuza Caracas team took the field in thesixth. Nico Pieres scored the first goalof the chukker from the field, 9-7, and then converted a 60-yard penalty shotfor a goal, 9-8. Espain kept the LechuzaCaracas hopes alive with a tying goal, 9-9, to end regulation time all even andforcing sudden-death overtime.
Both teams struggled for early control of the ball in theovertime period with Nico Pieres getting the opening he needed to score the winninggoal.
Nico Pieres was credited with seven goals on the day (two onpenalty shots). Espain added two goalsand Nero scored once. Facundo Pieresscored four of his team-high six goals on penalty shots. Laprida contributed two goals and Magriniaccounted for a goal in the loss.
USPA Piaget gold Cup competition will continue on Wednesday,March 12 with a 1pm match between Valiente (0-1) and Crab Orchard (0-1) followedby a 3pm contest featuring Coca-Cola (1-0) and Lechuza Caracas (1-0).