Ganzi scores winning goal for Audi
By Alex Webbe
Marc Ganzi scored Audi’s first and last goal in the team’s 12-10 win over a contentious Faraway polo team Friday afternoon in the 2011 USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Faraway arrived on the field with a bruised Mike Azzaro in the saddle. The former American 10-goaler was returning to action just two days after suffering a bone rattling fall in the semifinals of the Iglehart Cup.
Faraway received one goal by handicap form the 26-goal Audi team, but both teams had early scoring opportunities in the first chukker that weren’t capitalized upon. It wasn’t until over two minutes into the game that Ganzi stroked the first ball through the Faraway goal posts for a score, and a 1-1 tie. From then on, the action escalated.
Nic Roldan converted a penalty shot for a goal for Faraway. Audi was awarded a rare Penalty 1 (automatic goal and a throw in in front of the Faraway goal), followed by a goal from the field from Audi’s Brazilian 8-goaler, Rodrigo Andrade. The first chukker ended with Audi holding a 3-2 lead.
A very physical game began to emerge in the second chukker, but a single goal from the field from Roldan accounted for all of the scoring, and the teams left the field in a 3-3 tie.
Roldan converted a 60-yard penalty shot for a 4-3 go-ahead goal for Faraway, but Audi came roaring back. Two goals from Andrade and a single goal from Nico Pieres ended the chukker with Audi on top of a 6-4 score.
Azzaro opened the second half with a well-placed shot from the field and Roldan converted another 60-yard penalty shot to knot it up at 6-6. Nico Pieres gave the lead back to Audi with his second goal of the game, followed by another penalty goal from Roldan. Ten-goaler, Gonzalito Pieres broke the 7-7 tie with his first goal of the afternoon, and the chukker ended with Audi holding on to a one goal, 8-7 advantage.
Roldan added two more goals for Faraway in the fifth, but with time running out, Nico Pieres drove the ball through the goal posts to keep it all even at 9-9 as the period ended.
Roldan scored the first goal of the sixth chukker to give Faraway a 10-9 edge, but Audi responded with a goal from Nico Pieres, 10-10. The two teams battled throughout much of the final period until with less than a minute to play, Ganzi drove a neck shot through the goal to give Audi n 11-10 lead.
Audi took control of the ensuing throw-in, with Andrade driving a long pass down the field to a streaking Nico Pieres. With seconds left on the clock, Nico Pieres scored his fifth goal of the game for the 12-10 win.
“The throw-in following my goal was every bit as important as my goal,†said Audi team captain Marc Ganzi. “They’re (Faraway) a very good team,†he said, “and we knew that we had to control the ball for the remainder of the chukker if we were going to win.â€
“I think we’re going to take a lot from the win today,†Ganzi added, “I think we’re getting to where we need to be.â€
HAWKS 13, ORCHARD HILL 11
In earlier Piaget Gold cup play, the Hawks scored an impressive 13-11 win over Orchard Hill behind six goals from team captain Freddie Mannix.
Orchard Hill took the early 3-2 lead on goals from Hector Galindo, Lucas Criado and Pablo Macdonough with the Hawks answering with a goal from the field from 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre and a penalty goal from Mariano Gonzalez.
The Hawks got right back into the game in the second period with goals from Freddie Mannix, Aguerre and Gonzalez while Orchard Hill held on for a 5-5 tie with goals from Galindo and Criado.
Julian Mannix converted a penalty shot for a goal in the third, but Orchard Hill 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough kept it all even at 6-6 with a 40-yard penalty goal. Freddie Mannix scored the final goal of the chukker for a 7-6 halftime lead.
Freddie Mannix added three more goals to the Hawks’ total to kick off the second half. MacDonough responded for Orchard Hill with a pair of goals, but trailed 10-8 after four.
The Hawks picked up three more goals in the fifth, getting single efforts from Freddie Mannix, Gonzalez and Aguerre while holding Orchard Hill to goals from Galindo and MacDonough. With seven minutes left to play, the Hawks held a three goal, 13-10 lead.
The emphasis for the Hawks in the final chukker was defense, and a smother effort seemed to do the trick. After nearly four minutes into the sixth chukker, Galindo managed a single goal, the only goal that would be scored in the period and the Hawks left the field with a solid 13-11 win.
“We’ve got a system,†said Freddie Mannix, “and if we stick to it, we’ll be alright. “
“I think we put together a solid team effort today,†he added, “and showed what we are capable of doing on the field.â€
USPA Piaget gold Cup action will continue on Saturday with games at 10am, 1pm and 3pm. The early game will feature 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso and the 2010 defending championship Crab Orchard team against Bendabout. A 1pm, Valiente will face Zacara and at 3pm Lechuza will meet Piaget.