La Dolfina return to Triple Crown
By Herbert Spencer
Adolfo Cambiaso’s new line-up for his La Dolfina Peugeot team got off to a shaky start in the Hurlingham Open Wednesday before staging a second-half comeback to defeat AlegrÃa Air France 17-12.
La Dolfina were a 40-goal team when they won the Argentine Open last year, but have dropped to 39 after 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre left the squad to be replaced by Uruguayan 9-goaler David “Pelon†Sterling. Ironically, Cambiaso came up against old teammate Aguerre, playing for 34-goal AlegrÃa, in La Dolfina’s first outing in this year’s Triple Crown series.
AlegrÃa took an early 3-0 lead in the first chukka, holding La Dolfina scoreless. The match was tied in the second and third periods and AlegrÃa were again leading, 8-6, at half-time.
La Dolfina rallied in the second half, however, holding AlegrÃa scoreless in the fifth and sixth periods and building up a lead to end the eight-chukka match as victors. Cambiaso scored 9 of La Dolfina’s 17 goals, 5 on penalty conversions.
In the day’s second match at the Hurlingham Club, the Novillo Astradas’ La Aguada BMW, a 37-goal team, dominated 34-goal Indios Chapaleufú II Cardon, holding the Heguys scoreless in the last three chukkas to win their match comfortably, 18-8. La Aguada were runners-up to champions Ellerstina last year.