Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2015 – Day 5
Champions England Dumped Out Of
It was a bad day at the office for Snow Polo World Cup champions England at the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club today. Their narrow 5 – 4 defeat at the hands of Brazil means that this will be the last polo match they play at the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2015. England joins Peru as the two sides eliminated from Zone 1; Brazil, Canada, New Zealand and Argentina progress to next week’s quarterfinals. Their opponents will be decided tomorrow in the final day of group matches.
England went for it from the start, number two Max Routledge breaking for goal at full tilt from the throw-in to score the game’s opener. Neither side were pulling their punches in a fast and furious battle, but it was Brazil who struck next, Guilherme Lins cutting in from the boards to score a fine individual goal. A penalty in favour of the South Americans in the final seconds saw Lins add to his tally, advantage Brazil at the break.
The second chukka is one England will want to forget, a series of defensive lapses letting in Aluisio Vilela Rosa and then Gustavo Garcia, the score at the end of the chukka 4 – 1 in favour of Brazil. The champions weren’t going down without a fight, however, Jack Richardson showing the sort of form that won him Most Valuable Player in 2014 with a fine individual goal a minute into the final chukka. A terrific run and shot under pressure from England’s Matt Perry gave them a third goal with two and a half minutes left to play, while at the other end, last ditch defending thwarted Brazil on the counterattack. Perry then struck again, this time a clever chip over the head of his marker, and it looked like England had done enough to force a penalty shoot-out. But Brazil had other ideas, Gustavo Garcia galloping free to score, seal the match, break English hearts and make it three wins out of three for the men in yellow shirts.
Another beneficiary of England’s defeat was Canada, who qualified by a whisker after narrowly losing to Argentina in the day’s first match. Argentina’s Juan Manuel Echeverz broke loose to score at the hotel end after just ten seconds of the first chukka, before Jacinto Crotto added another from a penalty. Canada then got themselves on the board, Marcelo Abbiatti keeping control of the bouncing ball to steer it over the line, but Crotto stepped up once again to restore his side’s two goal cushion.
It was Canada’s turn to strike early at the start of the second chukka, Robert Stenzel emerging from the melee with the ball to make it 3 – 2. Argentina began to show their class as the game progressed, Jacinto Crotto plucking the ball off his opponent’s stick and galloping half the length of the pitch to score a fine goal a minute into the final chukka. Canada’s Brandon Phillips then wasted a great chance to get back into the game, hitting the post with his twenty-yard penalty. The Canadian number two made up for it a moment later, though, firing in a long-range shot high above the Argentinean defenders to make it 4 – 3. However, any hopes of a Canadian renaissance were stamped out by Argentina’s Jacinto Crotto, who galloped away to seal the game with his third of the match, 5 – 3.
New Zealand took on Peru in the other game of day five, the black shirts giving no quarter in a dominant first chukka display that saw them go 3 – 0 up before the Peruvians had mustered their first attack. The Peruvian defence tightened up in the second but New Zealand continued to apply the pressure, Tom Hunt scoring a trio of penalties to make it an even half dozen. Peru spurned a penalty three of their own in the dying seconds, the score 6 – 0 going into the final period.
It would need a miracle for Peru to get anything out of this match, and though they fought valiantly, New Zealand had their measure in every department. Glenn Sherriff added goal number seven after a minute of play, but to the cheers of the crowd, Peru finally tasted reward for their endeavour, Jose Mulanovich breaking away to thwack home his side’s first of the match. And in a final blaze of glory, Peru’s Gonzalo Siles thumped in an almighty goal off the boards in the last action of the game, the score at the final bell New Zealand seven, Peru two. A bit of pride salvaged for the Peruvians, but their first ever snow polo tournament is over.
On the cards tomorrow, polo fans can look forward to the final day of group matches at the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2015, with France against the USA, Mexico playing Spain and Hong Kong China versus Chile.
Replay of all games is available on www.hurlinghampolo.com