Final of the Polo French Open – Sunday, September 21, 2014
Team Vicomte A victory in extra time!
The French polo is doing well! It’s one of the lessons of this magnificent 2014 final of the French Open, which took place last Sunday at Chantilly and which was won on the line by Vicomte A Polo Team.
Eight players on the field: five French and three Argentineans.
This is an eloquent sign of the rise of the French polo. Among these five players, there were three pros, members of national French team (which will compete the playoffs the next world championship at the next weekend in England) and the two patrons. Both French teams have taken over the four foreign teams during the qualifying games, in this prestigious tournament The Saudi team of Edrees Sultan (with a French pro, Pierre Henri Ngoumou in its ranks), the Irish of Richard Fagan, the German of Uwe Schröder and the English of Steve Rigby had to settle for honour places after an extremely competitive tournament.
This final between French teams, the home team Vicomte A and the Parisians of Sainte-Mesme, has kept all its promises with a flying start (3-0) which quickly ran into the defence of their opponents. The No. 1 French, Brieuc Rigaux, extremely brillant when he has the ball was particularly tight closely and saw his game a bit upset, but punctuated by inspired actions for the happiness of a passionate public about the neck and neck. The match turned into a battle, the riding-offs were often very rough which resulted in some injury time story that the doctor can work with his magic spray.
At the end of the game (the fifth chukker), the balance of power is reversed and it was the turn of Vicomte A to regain control of the score (9-7 at the beginning of the fifth period) with advances incisors Dario Musso (h7 ) and Facundo Llorente (h4) as well as penalties converted by the French Edouard Pan. But Sainte-Mesme did not want to let go, and in the final minute of the game, came back to equality (9 to 9) with a beautiful backhand goal under the neck of Robert Strom. The decision would therefore be in extra time, during sudden-death. And this is Edouard Pan who gave this blow by converting a 60 yards-penalty, showing composure and determination of the young French who offered his captain, Alexander Sztarkman this coveted trophy.
Further evidence of the rise of the French polo: it’s a beautiful French black mare of 8 years old, logically named Black, born in Sainte Mesme and riden by Robert Strom, who saw himself awarded the trophy for the best playing poney of this final.
Before this very grown final, the German women’s team Tom Tailor Polo Team, won the Ladies French Open easily with a clear victory 6-0 over the team of the American team of Fredericka Dodge Tellier, Hecla Nipas already unfortunate finalists two years ago face to the same team of the Schröder sisters.
After this brilliant finals, apotheosis of the French season, hexagonal polo begins its season’s end with the France Championships, which will start next weekend and whose finals will be played on October 5 in Paris Bagatelle, then, the Autumn Cup which traditionally marks the end of the season on grass … unless the Indian summer prolongs pleasure.
Vicomte A: Alexander Szartkman (FRA, H1), Facundo Fernandez Llorente (ARG, H4, 2 goals), Dario Musso (ARG, H7, 1 penalty goal and a technical foul for dissent), Pan Edouard (FRA, H4, 7 goals including 4 penalties)
Sainte Mesme : Birger Strom (FRA, H1) Brieuc Rigaux (FRA, H5, 1 goal), Clemente Zavaleta (ARG, H 6, 1 goal), Robert Strom (FRA, H4, seven goals, including three penalties)
Progression : Vicomte A : 1/3 – 2/5 – 5/6 – 8/7 – 9/9 et 10/9 (extra-chukker)