Following the rain delay that obliged the postponement of the games due on Saturday November 4, the 130th. Argentine Polo Open resumed on Sunday November 5, with double action. While La Ensenada claimed their second victory in the most important tournament of the world, La Natividad, the winners in 2021 and runner up in 2022, made an impressive debut on ground 1.
In the opening match, La Ensenada, who previously defeated La Irenita Clinova, went head-to-head against El Overo Z7 UAE, who are playing their first ever Argentine Open, and lost to Ellerstina in their debut. The contest had a leveled start, but from the second chukka onwards, La Ensenada were the dominating force, led by their most outstanding men, Juan Martín Zubía and Juan Britos. The experience and the fact that the four team members know each other very well, were crucial in order to prevent any attempt of attack from their opponents. By half time, La Ensenada had a comfortable 12-4 lead.
In the second half, and although La Ensenada remained in the lead, El Overo Z7 UAE managed to get into the game, to win the fifth and sixth chukka. But that was it, because La Ensenada were back in the seventh chukka, when they outscored El Overo Z7 UAE 3-0, which meant that the scoreboard read a 17-10 for the boys in black. Although El Overo Z7 UAE claimed the last chukka and La Ensenada only produced one goal, but it was enough to earn their second victory by a 18-13 score.
Up next, La Natividad made their debut in the Argentine Open against La Irenita Clinova. The first chukka ended with a close 2-1 score, but history would change in the second chukka, when La Natividad, led by the lethal duo composed by Facundo Pieres and Jeta Castagnola, displayed a solid and strong team play. The Cañuelas-based foursome outscored La Irenita Clinova 5-0, and widened their advantage in the following chukkas; halfway the sixth chukka, they had a clear 15-6 advantage, and they didn’t slow down not even in the two last chukkas. Facundo Pieres produced two goals to seal the impressive 21-7 win that sealed La Natividad’s remarkable debut in the Argentine Open.
130th. ARGENTINE OPEN – SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5
MATCH #1: LA ENSENADA 18-13 EL OVERO Z7 UAE
La Ensenada: Juan Britos 9 (6 goals, three penalties, one Penalty 1), Alfredo Bigatti 9 (3), Juan Martín Zubía 9 (5), Jerónimo del Carril 8 (4, one penalty). Total: 35.
El Overo Z7 UAE: Lucas Monteverde Jr. 7 (4 goals), Victorino Ruiz Jorba 7 (4), Cruz Heguy 7 (4, three penalties), Teodoro Lacau 7 (1). Total: 28.
Score La Ensenada: 4-2, 5-2, 8-3, 12-4, 13-6, 14-10, 17-10, 18-13.
Umpires: Gonzalo López Vargas & Martín Aguerre. Third man: Rafael Silva.
MATCH #1: LA NATIVIDAD 21-7 LA IRENITA CLINOVA
La Natividad: Facundo Pieres 9 (9 goals, three penalties), Camilo Castagnola 10 (9, two penalties), Pablo Mac Donough 10 (3), Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. 10 (1). Total: 39.
La Irenita Clinova: Facundo Fernández Llorente 8 (3), Tomás Fernández Llorente Jr. 8, Matías Torres Zavaleta 8, Isidro Strada 8 (3, two penalties). Total: 32.
Score La Natividad: 2-1, 7-1, 9-2, 10-3, 12-5, 15-6, 19-7, 22-7.
Umpires: Matías Baibiene & Hernán Tasso. Third man: José Ignacio Araya.
IMAGES
La Ensenada vs. El Overo Z7 UAE
La Natividad vs. La Irenita Clinova
The 130th. Argentine Open will resume on Monday November 6, that will include the debut of reingning champions, La Dolfina. The order of play is as follows:
2pm: Cría La Dolfina vs. La Esquina
Cría La Dolfina: Guillermo Terrera 9, Tomás Panelo 9, Diego Cavanagh 8 o Benjamín Panelo 7, Alejo Taranco 9. Total: 35.
La Esquina: Pascual Sáinz de Vicuña 6, Cristian Laprida 8, Lucas James 7, Ignacio Laprida 8. Total: 29.
Umpires: Guillermo Villanueva & Rafael Silva. Third man: Federico Martelli.
4,30pm: La Dolfina Saudi vs. La Hache Cría & Polo
La Dolfina Saudi: Adolfo Cambiaso 10, David Stirling 10, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. 10, Juan Martín Nero 10. Total: 40.
La Hache Cría y Polo: Rufino Bensadón 8, Carlos María Ulloa 7, Facundo Sola 8, Joaquín Pittaluga 8. Total: 31.
Umpires: Gastón Lucero & Martín Aguerre. Third man: José Ignacio Araya.