The Bronze Cup has commenced with great prospects
On Saturday, the official kick-off of the Polo Challenge RD 2017, at Lechuza Caracas RD and Casa de Campo took place.
During the morning that day, the first match of the 12-goal category was played between La Potranca and Cinque Terre-El Milagro. The local team won over the Italian patron Alessandro Bazzoni’s team by 5-3.
In the afternoon, the main attraction of the weekend took place on the main Casa de Campo field: the match between mighty Lechuza Caracas and Casa de Campo, that started after the children from the MIR Foundation played the National Anthem of the Dominican Republic. It was a very tied match, under perfect weather conditions and the constant cheer of a full audience. Lechuza started off taking the lead and kept it for almost all the match, even though they could not obtain a goal difference of more than two. After two final chukkas with an outstanding performance by David Stirling Jr, who was also the MVP of the match, Lechuza took back the lead and won 11-9. Leo Matos and Victor Vargas were also highlighted as two of the best players of this great afternoon with a very high level of polo.
On Sunday, the second and third match of the 12-Goal category took place. The first match was a duel between Costasur and the local Casa de Campo Polo Team. The locals were able to have a great performance featuring very strong teamwork, and took the lead for 13-5.
Afterwards, it was time for El Palenque – Pitirri to take on the Italian team Cinque Terre- El Milagro. Unfortunately again for the Italians, this wasn’t also a good game and they lost by 8-2.
On Tuesday at Casa de Campo, the second day of the 22-goal category of the Bronze Cup, the first tournament of the 2017 edition of Polo Challenge, took place. This day marked the debut of the Mannix Brothers, Julian and Fred, in the Island, who came over this season to play with their team Alegría-El Milagro, alongside Federico Tomasevich and Cubi Toccalino.
After two very even first periods, the teams entered the third chukka with a difference of two goals in favor of Alegría, 4-2. The game was open, showing great sportsmanship with very few fouls, great goals and good races. A perfect example of the great quality of game that has been demonstrated on the high goal polo in Dominican Republic last year.
But Santiago Toccalino took over the game and proved once again he is a relentless player, scoring 3 goals on both the third and fourth chukka, while Alegría was not able to pass the ball through the goal posts on both periods. In spite of the great sixth chukka on which the Canadian team managed to score thrice, this was not enough, and Power Infrastructure emerged victorious by 9-8 from its first match on the Bronze Cup.
The tournament continues as follows:
Bronze Cup 12-Goal
Thursday, January 19th
Lechuza Caracas RD (Field 2) 4pm
La Potranca vs. Casa de Campo
Los Establos 4pm
Costasur vs. Pitirri-El Palenque
Saturday, January 21st
Lechuza Caracas RD 4pm
Costasur vs. C. Terre-Milagro
Casa de Campo (Field 1) 4pm
Pitirri-Palenque vs. Casa de Campo
Monday, January 23rd
TBA
La Potranca vs. Costasur
Bronze Cup, 22-goal
Friday, January 20th
Casa de Campo (Field 3) 2pm
Cinque Terre- El Milagro vs. Casa de Campo
Casa de Campo (Field 2) 4pm
La Potranca vs. Pitirri-Palenque
Sunday, January 22nd
Casa de Campo (Field 3) 2pm
Lechuza vs. Alegría-El Milagro
Casa de Campo (Field 2) 4pm
Casa de Campo vs. Power Infrastructure