Copa De Plata – Final

Miramar achieve a well deserved victory over Ellerstina

By Miles Lewis

In terms of Patron polo, the Silver Cup final at Ellerstina was more rewarding to watch than the Gold. Both Patrons were more than competent to play at the 14 goal level and whereas in the Gold Cup one sometimes had the feeling of watching three-player teams, here the patrons were an integral and indeed trusted part of each team. Alejandro Quentin, while not displaying a typical polo players physique, plays a useful game at the back, comfortably managing big passes, accurate backhands and an effective ride off when his team comes under pressure. Alessandro Bazzoni (standing in for Jamie Packer in the last few matches) is an excellent horseman, clearly athletic and focussed.

The 14 goal is played at much the same speed as the 22, but with many more errors in terms of ball control and retention. This leads to a much more physical game, with more “bashing and crashing” as the back-ups position themselves to scoop up the missed shots. Initially it looked as though the teams were pretty evenly matched in terms of talent, the first chukka showing open, fast polo, albeit with less accuracy. However, as the match progressed, Miramar’s superior horsepower became evident. Fielding a more balanced team of 1,4,4,5 handicaps against Ellerstina’s 1,3,3,7 set up, with each player apparently excellently mounted, Nicolas Pieres was simply left with too much to do and was unable to take control of the game.

One was left in no doubt that Alejandro captained his own team and that his management style was aggressive and to the point. When his number 2 entered into a brief bout of amateur dramatics, the message was clear; “Shut up and get on with the job!”. Which he proceeded to do with talent and flair, as did his team mates. Miramar finished the match 12-7 ahead, and I suspect an excellent team manager assisted with the commitment and discipline displayed.

Bad umpiring could have made this a messy match from the spectators point of view, but while a certain amount of leniency and playing the advantage was shown, it seemed consistent and fair throughout. For a Patron who can really play, this is an excellent tournament to work with the next generation of Argentine star players.