La California ralliesto beat Casablanca for Jockey Club Open final berth
By Alex Webbe
La California (Diego Cavanagh, Guillermo Terrera, IgnatiusDu Plessis and Tomas Garcia Del Rio) rallied from a three goal deficit to scorefour consecutive goals to beat the 36-goal Casablanca team (Facundo Sola, Pablo MacDonough, Milo Araujo and Juan Martin Nero) 8-7 and earn a berth in the 2013 Jockey Club Open finals against Chapaleufú (Alberto Heguy, Francisco Elizalde, Bautista Heguy andEduardo Heguy) Saturday afternoon at 3PM.
Rain caused the postponement of the original match and movedit to the Argentine Polo Association’s Alfredo Lalor Field grounds at Pilar.
Despite an intimidating Casablanca lineup that included10-goalers Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martin Nero, a balanced opening chukker hadeach team scoring a couple goals for a 2-2 tie.
La California defense shut down the Casablanca attack in thesecond while the offense scored two more goals. La California led 4-2 entering the third chukker.
Casablanca took control of the game in the third, scoringthree unanswered goals. La Californiawas unable to penetrate the Casablanca defense and trailed 5-4 at the end ofthe first half of play.
La California’s defense stepped it up in the fourth period,holding Casablanca to a single goal, but the team’s offense was shutout onceagain. Casablanca extended their lead totwo goals, 6-4.
Casablanca scored the opening goal of the fifth chukker fora 7-4 lead. Penalty goals from DiegoCavanagh and Tomas Garcia Del Rio got La California back into the game, butCasablanca continued to lead, 7-6.
La California displayed grit and determination in the finalchukker. A miserly defense heldCasablanca scoreless while Del Rio tied it up at 7-7 on a 60-yard penaltyshot. With time running out, Du Plessis connectedwith Guillermo Terrera with a well-placed pass, for the winning goal and a datewith Chapaleufú in the 2013Jockey Club Open finals.
Cavanagh and Del Rio scored three goals apiece in thevictory. Terrera added two goals,including the game winner. Nero led theCasablanca attack with four goals (three on penalty shots). MacDonough, Araujo and Sola each scored oncein a losing effort.