Action turned to The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club for Ferne Park versus Jindal Steel/La Dolfina, although this game was delayed due to thunder and lightning. Vere Harmsworth’s Ferne Park were looking for their third win in Group Two while Jindal Steel/La Dolfina were searching for a first victory after three narrow defeats. They had lost each of their previous three games by just one goal. So it was not surprising that Jindal Steel/La Dolfina came out firing from the first whistle, with Gonzalo Ferrari scoring in the first minute. They were leading 5-1 at the end of the first chukka. Ferne Park got themselves back into this game in the second, Facundo Pieres firing through three goals, and at half-time the score was tight, 8-7 to Jindal Steel/La Dolfina. The teams stayed evenly matched, with Jindal Steel/La Dolfina having a two-goal advantage at the end of the fourth and fifth chukkas. So there was still all to play for in the sixth. Joaquin Pittaluga and Cambiaso traded shots to maintain the two-goal margin before Pieres delivered an offside forehand to score and then converted a 30-yard penalty, just seconds before the final bell. This pushed the game into overtime. Ferne Park won the throw-in only for Cambiaso to steal the ball from Chris Mackenzie and run it to goal to win the game.
Image credit: Art of Polo
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Second Match
Next up was Kazak v Black Bears on The Duke’s Ground, also at Guards Polo Club. Black Bears were looking for their third win and a guaranteed place in this weekend’s quarter-finals. Kazak was focused from the first whistle though and goals from Nico Pieres, Fran Elizalde and Leon Donoso, to only one in reply from Benjamin Panelo, gave Sebastien Aguettant’s team the edge at the end of the first chukka. It was all about Black Bears in the second though with goals from Guy Schwarzenbach and both Panelo boys, Benjamin and Tomas. By half-time Black Bears were comfortably ahead 8-4. It was all change again in the second half with Pieres converting two penalties and scoring a field goal in the fourth chukka alone. Donoso added to Kazak’s tally in the fifth and suddenly the scores were level (10-10). Pieres highlighted Kazak’s resurgence in the sixth chukka scoring twice to win the game. This win means that there will be a penalty shootout on Wednesday afternoon to determine the quarter-final places in Group Two as Black Bears, Ferne Park, Kazak and the winners of the Ojo Caliente/UAE game will all finish on two wins each.
Image credit: Art of Polo
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Stats provided by https://poloreport.com/