The 129th. Argentine Open continued on Saturday November 19, at Palermo, with the two League A games, that saw La Irenita Grand Champions and La Natividad victorious. Their respective wins led them to decide the league in order to search for the first spot in the most awaited championship match of the year. The Argentine Open, the most important polo tournament in the world and the hightlight of the Argentine season, sees ten teams up to 39 goals in participation.
La Irenita Grand Champions and La Irenita GSquared opened fire. Halfway the third chukka, La Irenita Grand Champions already earned an impressive 6-0 lead, thanks to great goals by Fran Elizalde and Juan Britos. However, La Irenita GSquared managed to bounce back, outscored their contenders 3-0 in the last minutes within that third chukka, with goals by Santiago Loza, a penalty conversion by Segundo Bocchino, and Felipe Dabas. Despite their tied at 1-all in the fourth chukka, La Irenita Grand Champions still had a 7-4 advantage by half time.
La Irenita Grand Champions retained their strong dominance, and widened their advantage to an impressive 10-4 in the fifth chukka. But despite the numbers or the results, there was no question that La Irenita GSquared presented battle to their “elder brother”, mostly supported by Segundo Bocchino’s accuracy to score. By the time to play the last chukka, La Irenita GSquared closed the gap to just three goals, but at the end of the day, it was La Irenita Grand Champions who sealed the deal in the last chukka to take the 15-9 win home.
But the real thing was awaiting on field 1, perhaps the most important match of the weekend at Palermo, the clash between reigning champions, La Natividad and La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus. Both teams had changes within their lineups. While La Natividad hired Alfredo Cappellato fill in for the injured Nachi du Plessis, Matias Torres Zavaleta subbed in for Jerónimo del Carril in La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus, who received a red card in the previous match against La Irenita Grand Champions. La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus did need to win in order to maintain some hopes to qualify to the league decider, so it was expected a tough and very close contest.
La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus took a quick lead in the first chukka, but after three penalty conversions by Jeta Castagnola, La Natividad closed the first episode 3-2 ahead. Following a scoreless second chukka, the third was simply spectacular with both teams playing fast and swapping goals, that inevitably ended in tied scores. After the thrilling third chukka, two penalty conversions by Sapo Caset and a field goal by Alfredo Bigatti, gave La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus a 7-6 advantage by half time.
Until then, the match has been as expected – very intense, hard fought and with both teams putting strong pressure. Indeed, it was a great match played by two remarkable lineups.
Sapo Caset added two more goals within the first minutes in the fifth chukka to widen La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus’ gap to three goals; tLa Natividad replied quickly, with goals produced by Jeta Castagnola (2) and Polito Pieres, to tie once again, 9-all. The excitement of such a thrilling game would continue in the sixth chukka, with the two teams coming and going, until reaching another tie, 11-11, which was sealed by a spectacular neckshot goal by Jeta Castagnola. But things would change from the seventh chukka onwards…
It’s been anyone’s game until the sixth chukka, until the one and only Jeta began La Natividad’s remarkable comeback, with three unanswered goals. And if that was not enough, Jeta and Polito added one goal more each, to have the deal almost said and done. La Natividad had a 15-11 lead when the last chukka commenced.
In that last chukka, La Natividad outscored La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus 4-1 to seal an indeed remarkable 19-12 victory, a score that included no less than 14 goals by the indomitable Jeta Castagnola. Therefore, the win led them to decide League A against La Irenita Grand Champions, next Friday.
But beyond the final result, it is fair to say that both La Natividad and La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus provided a remarkable match, a brilliant game that delighted the spectators, who appreciated the efforts of the two lineups.
129th. ARGENTINE OPEN – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19
LA IRENITA GRAND CHAMPIONS 15-9 LA IRENITA GSQUARED
La Irenita Grand Champions: Juan Britos 9 (5, 1 penalty), Francisco Elizalde 9 (4, 1 corner), Pablo Mac Donough 10 (3), Juan Martín Zubía 8 (3). Total: 36.
La Irenita Gsquared: Santiago Loza 8 (1 goal), Segundo Bocchino 7 (5, 2 penalties and 1 córner), Martín Podestá 7, Felipe Dabas 7 (2). Total: 29.
Score La Irenita Grand Champions: 3-0, 6-0, 6-3, 7-4, 10-4, 10-6, 11-8, 15-9.
Umpires: Martín Pascual & Matías Baibiene. Third man: Hernán Tasso.
LA NATIVIDAD 19-12 LA ENSENADA RS MURUS SANCTUS
La Natividad: Camilo Castagnola 10 (14 goals, 9 penalties and 1 corner), Pablo Pieres 10 (5) Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. 10, Alfredo Cappella 8. Total: 38.
La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus: Matías Torres Zavaleta 8, Alfredo Bigatti 9 (5 goals), Guillermo Caset 9 (6, 5 penalties), Facundo Sola 8 (1) Total: 34.
Score La Natividad: 3-2, 3-2, 4-4, 6-7, 9-9, 11-11, 15-11, 19-12.
Umpires: Gastón Lucero & Guillermo Villanueva Third man: José Ignacio Araya.
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129th. Argentine Open, Saturday November 19
The 12pth. Argentine Open will resume on Sunday November 20, with the two League B games. Please, note that times have been changed, due to rain forecast:
1,30pm: LA DOLFINA SAUDI vs. LA IRENITA CLINOVA
La Dolfina Saudi: Adolfo Cambiaso 10, Pedro Zacharias 7*, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. 9, Juan Martín Nero 10. Total: 36.
*Subs in for Pelón Stirling, due to an injury
La Irenita Clinova: Facundo Fernández Llorente 8, Tomás Fernández Llorente Jr. 8, Bautista Bayugar 8, Isidro Strada 8. Total: 32.
Umpires: Guillermo Villanueva & Gonzalo López Vargas. Third man: Martín Aguerre.
4pm: ELLERSTINA vs. CRÍA LA DOLFINA
Ellerstina: Facundo Pieres 10, Hilario Ulloa 9, Gonzalo Pieres Jr. 9, Nicolás Pieres 10. Total: 38.
Cría La Dolfina: Guillermo Terrera 9, Tomás Panelo 8, Diego Cavanagh 8, Alejo Taranco 8. Total: 33.
Umpires: Martín Pascual & Gastón Lucero. Third man: José Ignacio Araya.
The final of the 129th Argentine Open is set to be played on Friday, December 2.