Maserati Metropolitan Polo Classic 2013 – Day 4
The “Maserati Metropolitan Polo Classic 2013†final match was played today at Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Cub, Team Maserati prevailed against Team Fortune Heights, winning 8 goals to 6.
The four teams invited to play in this year’s tournament consisted of world-class players from Argentina, Chile, England, Italy, New Zealand and Spain, and included celebrated names from distinguished polo families, such as Tomas Pieres and Sebastian Harriott. Each team played with a 24-goal handicap, which both establishes this as the highest level invitational tournament ever played in China, and also places Tianjin in a prominent position on the world polo calendar.
Today’s final match was attended by a select group of international sponsors, Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club members and invited guests.The award ceremony was held on the polo field immediately after the game, with a representative of Maserati presenting the winning team with the Maserati Metropolitan Polo Classic Cup.
The first chukka began with a strong start for Team Fortune Heights, who scored two goals in the first minute, before their opponents had even played the ball.
What followed was a rapid and exhausting back and forth, with no further goals until Team Maserati’s Gonzalo Azumendi finally scored late in the chukka.
Gonzalo Azumendi is a 6-goal player from Argentina, who went on to score a total of three goals in the match, and who was awarded the honour of Tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
After the first chukka had ended with a relatively low score of 2 goals to 1 in favour of Team Fortune Heights, it remained unclear as to which team was gaining momentum in the second chukka. Only one goal was scored, this time by Team Maserati’s defensive player Bautista Sorzana, who after rushing, ahead of a powerful 70-yard forward drive made by teammate Matias Zavaleta, and then cut the ball in from just in front of the goal mouth.
A clear lead was again elusive during the third chukka, although there were signs that the game was turning.
Team Maserati’s Gonzalo Bourdieu demonstrated his superior forward power, making a massive swing from near the centre-line that took the ball into the Team Fortune Heights goal area. Despite several attempts by the Team Fortune Heights defense to turn the ball around, Bourdieu caught up, and succeeded in knocking the ball through the goal at full gallop.