Valiente in C. V.Whitney final; Cambiaso injured, leaves game
By Alex Webbe
Valiente (Bob Jornayvaz, Santi Torres, Sapo Caset and AdolfoCambiaso) lost 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso just two minutes into the thirdchukker, but rode on with fellow 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero taking his place inthe lineup and registered a 13-11 win over defending champion, Alegria (JulianMannix, Clemente Zavaleta, Matias Magrini and Hilario Ulloa), and a position inthe C. V. Whitney Cup final against Orchard Hill (Steve Van Andel, SantiagoChavanne, Pablo MacDonough and Matias Macdonough).
In a defensive-oriented opening chukker Adolfo Cambiasoscored the only goal of the game for the early 1-0 lead.
Alegria responded in force in the second chukker with PolitoPieres (replacing the injured Mariano Aguerre) scoring twice (once on a penaltyshot) and Hilario Ulloa adding the tying goal (Sapo Caset scored twice forValiente). The second period ended withthe score deadlocked at 3-3.
Cambiaso is thought to have been hit in the elbow by thehard plastic ball and was forced to retire from the game just two minutes intothe third chukker. Juan Martin Nero tookhis place and promptly added two goals while Caset converted a 60-yard penaltyshot for his third of the day. Alegriateam captain, Julian Mannix, scored a single goal from the field forAlegria. At the end of the first halfValiente led, 6-4.
Four more fourth chukker goals by Valiente were answered bya single 40-yard penalty shots five goals, 10-5. Pieres converted the penalty shot forAlegria’s only score of the chukker.
Pieres went on a tear in the fifth period, scoring threeconsecutive goals. Valiente responded withtwo penalty conversions. The chukkerended with Valiente’s Caset converting a pair of penalty goals to maintain a12-8 lead.
Fred Mannix scored the first goal of the period as Pierescharged into the fray on Thursday converting two more penalty goals. Valiente was guarding a 12-11, one goaladvantage. Caset scored the final goalof the day for a 13-11 win.
Pieres led all scoring with eight goals for thevictory. Mannix added two goals andUlloa added a goal for the team. Casetled the team with six goals. Nero scoredfour goals; Torres added two goals in the loss, and Cambiaso scored twice.
AUDI 12, COCA-COLA 9
Earlier in the day, Audi (Marc Ganzi, Gonzalito Pieres,Rodrigo Andrade and Gonzalo Del Tour) trailed Coca-Cola (Gillian Johnston,Sebastian Merlos, Julio Arellano and Facundo Obregon) for just 37 seconds inthe first chukker, the only time all game long that they were behind, as theygalloped off with 12-9 win in the Les Armour Cup semifinals, the subsidiary ofthe C. V. Whitney Cup at the International Polo Club Thursday morning.
Goals were scarce in the opening period of play withCoca-Cola’s Gillian Johnston scoring the first goal of the game with just 1:31left in the opening chukker. Gonzalo DelToru equalized the score with a goal from the field at the 53 second mark. The first period ended in a 1-1 tie.
Goals by Del Tour and Marc Ganzi gave Audi a 3-1, two goallead in the opening two minutes of the second chukker. Facundo Obregon converted a 60-yard penaltyshot to cut the Audi lead to a single goal, 3-2. Del Tour scored on a penalty shot just aminute later with teammate Rodrigo Andrade closing out the chukker with a goaland a 5-2 Audi lead.
Coca-Cola pressed their attack in the Third with Obregonscoring the first three goals of the chukker. A penalty goal in the opening minute of the chukker was followed by atwogoals from the field as Coca-Cola tied it up at 5-5. Ganzi scored the final goal of the periodwith just 1:11 on the clock to give his team the narrow 6-5 halftime lead.
Del Tour scored the opening goal of the second half just 19seconds into the chukker and followed it up at the 4:40 mark with a spectacularindividual effort that had him scooping the ball out of his own goal mouth andracing 290 yards down the field for a goal and an 8-5 lead. Julio Arellano scored the final goal of thechukker as Audi left the field with a two goal, 8-6 advantage.
Audi stretched their lead to four goals in the fifth. A pair of goals from Del Tour (one on apenalty shot) and a goal from Ganzi who scored on a 170-yard run were answeredby a single goal from Arellano as Coca-Cola fell behind, 11-7.
Obregon scored the first goal of the sixth chukker with 2:39left in the game, cutting the lead to three goals, 11-8, and Sebastian Merlosbrought Coca-Cola to within two goals of the lead, 11-9, with his first goal ofthe game. Andrade, however, dashed anyhopes Coca-Cola had with the final goal of the game with 47 seconds on theclock in the 12-9 Audi victory.
Del Tour led all scoring with seven goals. Ganzi scored three times and Andrade addedtwo goals for the win. Obregon’s fivegoals set the pace for the Coca-Cola offense with five goals. Arellano was credited with two goals whileJohnston and Merlos each scored a goal in a losing effort.
FLIGHT OPTIONS 8,LECHUZA CARACAS 7
Lechuza Caracas (Victor Vargas, Nico Pieres, Juan MartinNero and Nico Espain) led through the first four chukkers of the game beforelosing to Flight Options (Eduardo Astrada, Miguel Astrada and AlejandroAstrada) in a low-scoring 8-7 game to qualify for the semifinals of the LesArmour Cup Thursday afternoon.
Goals from Lechuza Caracas team captain victor Vargas and10-goaler Juan Martin Nero went unanswered as Flight Options fell behind, 2-0.
Miguel Astrada scored the only goal of the second chukker,cutting the Lechuza Caracas lead to a single goal, 2-1.
Third chukker action had the two teams trading goals withNico Pieres scoring twice for Lechuza Caracas and Miguel Astrada adding a pairof goals for Flight Options. At the endof the first half it was Lechuza Caracas who carried the narrow 4-3 lead.
Single goals in the fourth chukker by Nico Pieres forLechuza Caracas and Miguel Astrada for Flight Options kept Lechuza Caracas ontop of the 5-4 score with two chukkers left in regulation play.
Miguel Astrada added two more goals in the fifth, bothcoming from the field while the Flight Options defense kept Lechuza Caracas offof the scoreboard. For the first timeall day, Flight Options took the lead, 6-5.
Lechuza Caracas rallied in the sixth as Pieres scored twice(once on a penalty shot). Flight Optionsmanaged a single goal from Miguel Astrada as regulation time ran out, 7-7, andthe two teams prepared for a sudden-death overtime chukker.
It was Alejandro Astrada who scored the winning goal inovertime for the 8-7 win.
Miguel Astrada scored seven of his team’s eight goals. Alejandro “Negro†Astrada scored once, thewinning goal. Pieres scored five timeswhile Vargas and Nero added single goals in the loss.