It’s the same old situation… again! La Dolfina Saudi defeated La Hache La Roca 16-12 and are through the championship match of the 130th. Argentine Open, following the first league decider, that took place at Palermo, on Saturday November 25. A remarkable achievement for the Cañuelas based foursome, who is about to play their 23rd. final of the Argentine Open, since their inception, in 2000. Since then on, they participated in every final, with the exception of 2004.
La Hache Cria & Polo and La Esquina opened fire. The latter needed a win to play a playoff, and, at the same time, wait for the result of the game between Ellerstina and La Irenita Clinova, due on Sunday.
La Hache Cría & Polo was merciless from the very start. They claimed a heavy 6-1 lead in the first chukka, that saw all the team members scoring. Although La Esquina did their best to close the gap – halfway the third chukka, they were only three goals behind, 5-8 – the Ulloa family’s team demonstrated to be a solid a powerful foursome, who seized the reins in order to retain their advantage. By half time, they were 15-6 up.
During the second half, La Hache Cría & Polo slowed down a bit, and La Esquina struggled to get into the scoreboard. But La Hache Cría & Polo quickly stopped every attempt from La Esquina. At the end of the day, La Hache Cría & Polo claimed an impressive 22-13 win, and qualified for the 2024 Triple Crown.
The follow-up was the much anticipated clash between reigning champions, La Dolfina Saudi, and La Hache La Roca, in front of packed grandsstands and the promise of great polo, between two strong teams, who were determined to give their best to earn the coveted first ticket to the final.
La Hache La Roca got off to a better start, and by the end of the first chukka, they were 2-1 up, with goals by Polito Pieres and Sapo Caset, while Poroto Cambiaso scored for La Dolfina. It was Poroto who tied at 2-all in the second, until in the third chukka they claimed the lead (5-3), and reached half time 7-4 up. The reigning champions were bouncing back; they went to a complicated start to a comeback.
However, La Hache La Roca had another ideas in mind. In the fifth chukka, and thanks to goals by Polito Pieres (3) and Hilario Ulloa (1), they closed the gap to just one goal (8-9). And in the two following chukkas. La Hache La Roca were on La Dolfina Saudi’s tail – with one chukka remaining, the title holders managed to retain a tight 12-11 advantage. Nothing was decided yet, it was anyone’s game.
But La Dolfina Saudi put the ice on the cake in the last chukka. The goals by Adolfo Cambiaso and one by Juanma Nero were enough to secure the Cañuelas stars the 16-13 win, and the first spot in the final of the Argentine Open.
130th. ARGENTINE OPEN – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24
MATCH #1 – LA HACHE CRIA & POLO 22-13 LA ESQUINA
La Hache Cría y Polo: Rufino Bensadón 8 (7 goals), Carlos M. Ulloa 7 (3), Facundo Sola 8 (7, one penalty, one Penalty 1), Joaquín Pittaluga 8 (5 penalties) Total: 31.
La Esquina: Pascual Sáinz de Vicuña 6 (1 Penalty 1), Cristian Laprida 8 (3), Juan Zubiaurre 6 (2, one penalty 1), Ignacio Laprida 8 (7, five penalties). Total: 28.
Score La Hache Cría y Polo: 6-1, 8-4, 12-5, 15-6, 17-8, 18-8, 20-11, 22-13.
Umpires: Gonzalo López Vargas & Martín Aguerre. Third man: Federico Martelli.
MATCH#2 – LA DOLFINA SAUDI 16-12 LA HACHE LA ROCA
La Dolfina Saudi: Adolfo Cambiaso 10 (6 goals, two penalties, one corner), David Stirling 10 (1), Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. 10 (7 penalties), Juan Martín Nero 10 (2). Total: 40.
La Hache La Roca: Pablo Pieres 9 (8, four penalties), Hilario Ulloa 9 (1), Guillermo Caset 9 (1 Penalty 1), Francisco Elizalde 9 (2, one penalty and one Penalty 1). Total: 36.
Score La Dolfina Saudi: 1-2, 2-2, 5-3, 7-4, 9-8, 11-9, 12-11, 16-12.
Umpires: Gastón Lucero & Guillermo Villanueva Third man: José Ignacio Araya.
The 130th. Argentine Open will resume on Sunday November 25, with the following order of play:
MATCH #1, 2pm: Ellerstina vs. La Irenita Clinova
Ellerstina: Bautista Bayugar 8, Gonzalo Pieres Jr. 9, Nicolás Pieres 9, Ignatius du Plessis 9. Total: 35.
La Irenita Clinova: Facundo Fernández Llorente 8, Tomás Fernández Llorente Jr. 8, Matías Torres Zavaleta 8, Isidro Strada 8. Total: 32.
Umpires: Guillermo Villanueva & Gonzalo López Vargas. Third man: Rafael Silva.
MATCH #2, 4,30pm: La Natividad vs. La Ensenada
La Natividad: Facundo Pieres 9, Camilo Castagnola 10, Pablo Mac Donough 10, Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. 10. Total: 39.
La Ensenada: Juan Britos 9, Alfredo Bigatti 9, Juan Martín Zubía 9, Jerónimo del Carril 8. Total: 35.
Umpires: Gastón Lucero & Matías Baibiene. Third man: José Ignacio Araya.