They’ve did it again: La Natividad qualified for their second consecutive Argentine Open final! Following a remarkable match at Palermo on Friday, November 25, the Cañuelas-based foursome claimed a narrow 15-14 win over La Irenita Grand Champions to secure a place in the final of the 129th Argentine Open, the most important tournament in the world. Ten teams, up to 39 goals, have been competing for a place in the final.
The day started with a match between La Hache and La Irenita GSquared. La Hache played their best match of the season, getting off to a powerful start. By half time they had secured a commanding 9-3 lead, thanks to their leading men, Joaquín Pittaluga and Carlos Ulloa. Santiago Bocchino was the top goal scorer for La Irenita GSquared.
La Irenita GSquared played well in the fifth chukka, closing the gap down to three goals (6-3), but La Hache bounced back with two penalty conversions by Pittaluga. La Hache were 11-6 up halfway through the sixth. La Irenita GSquared attempted to fight back, but La Hache were still the dominant force. In the last chukka, La Irenita GSquared made one last effort to come within two goals of their opponents, with one minute left to play in regulation time. But it was too late for them; the final bell rang and La Hache secured the 13-11 victory and 300 crucial points.
Up next on Palermo’s number one field was the League A decider between reigning champions La Natividad and La Irenita Grand Champions. The match was set to be a rematch of the Hurlingham Open semifinal, and the winner would qualify for the final of the Argentine Open.
In the first minute of play, Pablo Mac Donough picked up the ball and scored. Halfway into the first chukka, Barto Castagnola passed the ball to his brother Jeta to tie the game at 1-all, meaning that the game was tied 2-all by the end of the first chukka, following a 60-yard penalty conversion from Jeta Castagnola, and a field goal from Juan Britos.
La Irenita Grand Champions managed take the lead in the second chukka thanks to a great goal by Juano Britos, who widened La Irenita’s advantage to 4 goals to 2 thanks to a successful corner. But La Natividad seized the reins in the third chukka, with two unanswered goals. Jeta converted two penalties, one from the spot and one from 30-yards, and Nachi Du Plessis’ scored a spectacular field goal to give La Natividad a 5-4 lead. However, an accurate play by Pablo Mac Donough ended in a goal by Juan Martín Zubía, to make it 5-all. By halftime, the match was tied 6-all. The first half was hard fought, with two fierce teams fighting hard.
The fifth chukka belonged to La Irenita Grand Champions: they outscored La Natividad 3-1, thanks to three consecutive goals by Fran Elizalde, giving Irenita Grand Champions their first two goal lead. Meanwhile, Jeta Castagnola scored a 60-yard penalty for La Natividad.
While the fifth chukka saw La Irenita come through on top, the sixth belonged to La Natividad. They outscored their contenders 4-1, with goals split between Jeta (2), Barto, and Nachi du Plessis, putting La Natividad 12-9 up. A very tough seventh chukka followed. Juan Britos scored for La Irenita Grand Champions, but La Natividad replied quickly, with Jeta scoring a 30-yard penalty. Once again, La Natividad secured a three goal lead (13-10). However, La Irenita Grand Champions pushed back with goals from Juan Martín Zubía and Fran Elizalde (2). With only one chukka left to play, the match was tied at 13-all.
The inimitable Jeta Castagnola came through for La Natividad in the last chukka. He scored two goals (one 30-yard penalty and a fantastic field goal) to go 15-13 up. La Irenita Grand Champions were determined to not give up that easily. Pablo Mac Donough scored with only one minute left to play in regulation time, but his efforts didn’t pay off. La Natividad not only won the rematch 15-14, but they secured the first spot in the final of the Argentine Open.
129th ARGENTINE OPEN – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
LA HACHE 13-11 LA IRENITA GSQUARED
La Hache: Juan Ruiz Guiñazú 8 (2 goals), Carlos María Ulloa 6 (4), Santiago Cernadas 7, Joaquín Pittaluga 7 (7, 5 penalties). Total: 28.
La Irenita Gsquared: Santiago Loza 8 (1 goal), Segundo Bocchino 7 (7, 5 penalties, 1 corner), Martín Podestá 7 (1), Felipe Dabas 7 (2). Total: 29.
Score La Hache: 2-0, 5-1, 7-1, 9-3, 9-5, 11-9, 13-8, 13-11.
Umpires: Gastón Lucero & Gonzalo López Vargas.
Third man: Martín Aguerre.
LA NATIVIDAD 15-14 LA IRENITA GRAND CHAMPIONS
La Natividad: Camilo Castagnola 10 (11 goals, 8 penalties), Pablo Pieres 10 (1), Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. 10 (1), Ignatius du Plessis 9 (2). Total: 39.
La Irenita Grand Champions: Juan Britos 9 (5, 1 penalty), Francisco Elizalde 9 (5, 3 penaltie), Pablo Mac Donough 10 (2, 1 penalty), Juan Martín Zubía 8 (2). Total: 36.
Score La Natividad: 2-2, 2-4, 5-5, 6-6, 8-9, 12-9, 13-13, 15-14.
Umpires: Martín Pascual & Guillermo Villanueva.
Third man: José Ignacio. Araya.
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129th Argentine Open: Friday, November 25
The 129th Argentine Open resumes on Sunday, November 27, with what will be a complex definition for League B. The first contest is about earning the points for either playing the 2023 qualification or a playoff with the winner of the Cámara de Diputados Cup; the second is the league decider, which will unveil the second finalist. The order of play will be as follows:
2pm: LA IRENITA CLINOVA vs. LA ESQUINA
La Irenita Clinova: Facundo Fernández Llorente 8, Tomás Fernández Llorente Jr. 8, Bautista Bayugar 8, Isidro Strada 8. Total: 32.
La Esquina: Pascual Sáinz de Vicuña 6, Cristian Laprida 8, Lucas James 7, Ignacio Laprida 8. Total: 29.
Umpires: Matías Baibiene & Martín Pascual.
Third man: Martín Aguerre.
Possible outcomes:
- If La Irenita Clinova defeats La Esqina:
-La Hache will play a playoff against the winner of the Cámara de Diputados Cup.
-La Esquina and La Irenita G-Squared will play the qualification in 2023.
- If La Esquina defeats La Irenita Clinova:
-La Hache and La Esquina must play a tiebreak game: the winner will earn a spot to play the whole 2023 Triple Crown; the loser will clash in a playoff against the winner of the Cámara de Diputados Cup.
-La Irenita Clinova and La Irenita G-Squared must play the 2023 qualification.
4,30pm: LA DOLFINA SAUDI vs. ELLERSTINA
La Dolfina Saudi: Adolfo Cambiaso 10, David Stirling 10, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. 9, Juan Martín Nero 10. Total: 36.
Ellerstina: Facundo Pieres 10, Hilario Ulloa 9, Gonzalo Pieres Jr. 9, Nicolás Pieres 10. Total: 38.
Umpires: Gastón Lucero & Gonzalo López Vargas.
Third man: José Ignacio Araya.
La Dolfina Saudi have the easy task ahead because they only need to win against Ellerstina. The latter, who lost to Cría La Dolfina last week, are obliged to defeat La Dolfina Saudi by three goals and score eight or more, in order to earn a spot in the final. There’s a shimmer of hope for Cría La Dolfina as well: they need Ellerstina to beat La Dolfina Saudi by a handful of goals, a maximum of seven for Ellerstina, and a maximum of four for La Dolfina Saudi.
The final of the 129th Argentine Open is set to be played on Friday, December 2.