Lechuza Caracas Defeat Dos Lunas on Day Six of Copa de Oro
On the sixth day of the 2018 Copa de Oro, Lechuza Caracas defeated Dos Lunas 11-9 at the Santa Maria Polo Club.
With Dos Lunas looking for their first win in the tournament, Lechuza Caracas proved too strong as they bounced back from their loss with the convincing two-goal victory. Juan Martin Nero and David Stirling displayed a strong two-man game using their set plays to attack the Dos Lunas defense. Controlling possession throughout the game, Lechuza Caracas reacted to the high pressure on their 10-goalers by utilizing Victor Vargas as a receiver downfield, as he finished with three goals to impact the game. Dos Lunas improved in the 2nd half outscoring Lechuza Caracas by one but committed too many fouls in the game to make their comeback, with Nero finishing 5 for 6 from the penalty line to lead Lechuza Caracas to the victory.
The opening half saw Dos Lunas take an early 2 goal lead in a strong 1st chukker performance, converting two of their five attempts at goal, but Nero scored a goal from the field and the penalty line to even the score. As the first half continued, Lechuza Caracas used their set plays as an effective platform to score goals, including a dominant 3rd chukker that saw three goals, two of which coming from throw in wins and passes to an unmarked Victor Vargas. Trailing 7-4 at halftime, Dos Lunas seemed to match Lechuza Caracas during open play but their discipline was a factor, committing 7 fouls leading to four penalty goals for Lechuza Caracas.
Facing a three-goal deficit, Dos Lunas improved their play in the second half, outshooting Lechuza Caracas 10-4 over the final three chukkas. Even with the extra scoring opportunities, the inaccuracy of the Dos Lunas attack allowed Lechuza Caracas to extend their lead to four in a strong fifth chukka. Converting both shot attempts from the field and scoring their sixth penalty goal of the game, Lechuza Caracas were able to hold a comfortable lead heading into the final chukka. A late push with goals from Facundo Sola and Kian Hall brought Dos Lunas within two goals but they were unable to get any closer as Lechuza Caracas managed the possession and forced Dos Lunas into too many fouls complete the two-goal victory.