Semi-Finalists Determined in USPA Gold Cup
The two remaining semi-finalists were determined in the USPA Gold Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach after Pilot defeated Tonkawa 12-9, while Aspen also defeated Stable Door Polo 12-9 to join Equuleus and Daily Racing Form as the final four teams.
The opening game of the day saw Pilot display another dominant first half behind accurate shooting, racing into the lead and forcing Tonkawa to attempt a comeback. Facundo Pieres led the way for Pilot with an eight-goal performance, while Matias Gonzalez was active in the middle of the field, frustrating Tonkawa’s higher rated players. In the first half where Tonkawa shot just 1 for 7 from the field, allowed Pilot to build a large lead due to effective shooting of their own, converting 5 of their 6 opportunities from the field, along with making both penalty attempts to claim a 7-3 lead. Tonkawa began to apply a higher-pressure defence, seeking to slow Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres and it worked effectively with Sterling Giannico and Agustin Merlos breaking away for goals. However, Pilot continued to produce an efficient attack, converting each chance provided to them, led by Facundo Pieres scoring four of Pilot’s five goals in the second half. Tonkawa reduced the deficit to two in the fourth chukka, but ultimately the Pieres brothers proved to be too much, claiming their eighth consecutive victory to start the season and keeping their Gauntlet of Polo™ chances alive.
The last quarter-final was played in front of the grandstand on the Home of the U.S. Polo Assn- Field 1 in a hard-fought game played on multiple fronts. Stable Door Polo heavily pressured Polito Pieres and Lucas James in the attempt to keep the possession away from them, but the elite duo effectively used Tomas Schwencke and Stewart Armstrong as receivers to stretch the field. A back and forth opening half saw the teams deadlocked at 2-2, until two goals from Polito Pieres gave Aspen the slim one-goal lead which they would hold throughout the rest of the half. Rotating through at different times, Armstrong transtioned to the back of the game, freeing James to score two goals to begin the half and extend Aspen’s lead to three. While Henry Porter and Victorino Ruiz Jorba both had their moments in the game, their final two goals in the sixth chukka wasn’t enough to overcome an organized Aspen defence. Led by six goals from Polito Pieres and a balanced team effort that produced at least two goals from each player, Aspen remained undefeated to reach the semi-finals on Wednesday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.