Gstaad – 20/08/09

Gstaad Polo Gold Cup

The 2nd Gstaad Hublot Polo Gold Cup began today with the fabulous peaks of the Saanenland as a backdrop. The summer weather, nearly Argentina-like, was just what was needed to make conditions ideal for the very high standard of performance delivered by the first-rate polo players, who come from Argentina, Italy and Switzerland.

The game plan was decided by drawing lots the preceding evening, and was as follows:

1:00pm: Porsche team vs. Star Design team
3:00pm: Gstaad Palace team vs. Hublot team

It was immediately obvious that the matches would be closely fought, and that there was a strong will to win. After leading by 2 1/2 goals in the first half, the Gstaad Palace team, holder of the title in 2008, lost  9 1/2 – 10 against the Hublot team. The Argentine Alejandro Agote (handicap 8) didn’t manage to turn to his advantage a penalty shot at 60 yards, 28 seconds before the whistle blow announcing victory for his opponents.

In the second match, the Porsche team, which has the highest handicap, held strong and won with a score of 5 – 4 1/2. Federico Bachmann showed his skill in fighting at the center for the ball. He was thus able to create several opportunities for his teammates as well.

Based on today’s results, the game plan for Saturday, 22 August 2009 will be as follows:

1:30pm: Porsche team vs. Gstaad Palace team
3:00pm: Hublot team vs. Star Design team