Gold Cup matches go into extra time
By Herbert Spencer
Pressure in the British Open Championship built up Saturday when both the day’s league matches at Cowdray Park Polo Club were pushed into sudden death seventh chukkas by determined top teams.
Jean-François Decaux’s La Bamba de Areco, winners of last year’s Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup, beat the Hanburys’ El Remanso 13-12 when La Bamba’s 10-goaler Facundo Pieres scored the golden goal in extra time to give them victory.
Reigning champions La Bamba, the only Gold Cup team with two 10-goalers – Facundo and brother Gonzalito Pieres — now head League Two of the 20-team tournament, having won all three of their games thus far. El Remanso, with brothers Charlie and George Hanbury, retain second place in the group.
Earlier Victor Vargas’ Lechuza Caracas rallied in the last chukka to tie their match against Jerome Wirth’s Enigma, pushing it into extra time. A golden goal by Guillero Caset in the seventh chukka gave Lechuza Caracas their 11-10 victory. Venezuelan patron Vargas returned to the line-up after missing the team’s earlier matches due to business.
Their victory put Lechuza Caracas in first place in League Three with a perfect 3-0 win record, pushing Enigma with 2-1 into second place.