USA hammers Mexico 10-3; earns trip to World
Championship in Chile
By Alex Webbe
Mexico (JJ de Alba, Alejandro
Gonzalez, Vale Aguilar and Julio Gracida) hung close for the opening chukkers
of the FIP Zone A final, but lost control of the game in the third as the US
team (Jared Sheldon, Jesse Bray, Felipe Viana and Patrick Uretz) scored six
consecutive goals on their way to a 10-3 victory.
Felipe Viana scored the first
goal of the game on a penalty conversion that was countered by a goal from the field
from Mexico’s Vale Aguilar, 1-1. A
second goal from Viana closed out the chukker with the United States in front,
2-1.
Second chukker action saw
Viana convert his second penalty shot, 3-1.
Julio Gracida responded with a goal for Mexico to cut the lead to a
single goal, 3-2. Jesse Bray’s first
goal of the day put the US team on top, 4-2 at the end of the second period.
An oppressive US defense
held Mexico scoreless in the third.
Viana added his third penalty goal of the game and Bray scored his
second from the field. After three
chukkers the United States led by four goals, 6-2.
The goals just kept coming
for the US team as fourth period play began.
Two more goals from the field from Viana and a closing goal from Jared
Sheldon were complimented by shutout defense for the second consecutive
chukker. With one period left to play
Mexico trailed by seven goals, 9-2.
With the game all but
decided, the two teams traded goals in the fifth and final chukker. Bray scored the first goal of the final
chukker for an eight goal, 10-2 advantage.
Alejandro Gonzalez scored the last goal of the game as the United States
celebrated the 10-3 win and an invitation to the 2015 FIP World Polo Championship
in Chile in March.
Viana led all scoring with
six goals. Bray was credited with three
goals and Sheldon added a goal in the win.
Mexico received single goals from Gracida, Aguilar and Gonzalez.
“We’re thrilled with the
win,” said Melissa Ganzi, the president of the Grand Champions Polo club in
Wellington that served as the training site for the US team in November. “They have a lot of talent, and we’re hoping
that they’re going to bring the title home in March.”
For four weeks the members
of the US team trained as a unit at the Grand Champions Polo Club. Through a series of tournaments and
contributing coaching from some of the top American players, the US team
jelled.
After struggling in their
first couple of tournaments in Wellington they began to play as a team and
continued that process as they systematically ran over Canada, the Dominican
Republic and Mexico to capture an invitation to Chile.
Over the curse of the
competition, the US team averaged 10 goals per game while giving up less than
five goals per.
Viana finished the
competition with 12 goals to his credit.
Sheldon scored nine times; Bray eight; and Uretz scored once from the
Back position.