La Natividad continue to amaze us! They are strong, solid team that has and developed enough self-confidence to make them look like they landed from another galaxy. They awed spectators in the first semifinal of the 82nd Tortugas Open, one of the much anticipated games of the year (and we are still only at the beginning of the Triple Crown!) and a rematch of last year’s memorable Argentine Open final against La Dolfina Saudi, which went to La Natividad. The game, played on ground 7, of Tortugas Country Club, Saturday, October 1, say La Natividad claim a 10-9 win and the first place in the final of the Tortugas Open, which sees eight teams, between 29 and 39 goals, compete.
This first semifinal for the Emilio de Anchorena Cup was also notable because it saw the two highest rated teams (39) go head to head. The first two chukkas of the match were very well balanced, until La Natividad took off in the third. The one and only Jeta Castagnola’s led the attack scoring five goals, but La Natividad’s overall team play was extraordinary as well. Barto Castagnola’s brains combined with Polito Pieres’ skills and Nachi Du Plessis’ defense. Together, they proved to be a real headache for La Dolfina Saudi, whose worked hard to get back into the game. La Natividad held a 6-3 advantage by half time. In the second half, La Natividad remained in the lead, but La Dolfina Saudi started to gain on them. The last chukka was a tough one. Adolfo Cambiaso converted two 60-yard penalties and Pelon Stirling quickly scored a fantastic field goal to gice La Dolfina Saudi their fist advantage of the match. But with less than a minute left to play in regulation time, Polito Pieres found the flags to tie the game 9-all. The last minutes were a battle, with the threat of OT hanging in the air. But in the the 30 additional seconds of the last, Jeta Castagnola gained possession, to the despair of La Dolfina Saudi’s players, and scored the winning goal to give La Natividad a place in their first ever final of the Tortugas Open.
Prior to the semifinal, La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus defeated La Irenita Clinova (who 2.5 goal on handicap) by a impressive 18 goals to 13.5 to win the semifinal of the Subsidiary Sarmiento Cup. La Irenita Clinova got off to an overwhelming start, taking the lead in the first two chukkas (0-5.5 and 2-6.5), but things changed in the third when La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus made a spectacular comeback to trail by only half a goal (6-7.5). Their momentum grew in the last three chukkas, lead by their top scorer, Sapo Caset, who was very well supported by Alfredo Bigatti. At the end of the day, La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus claimed an incredible win. They will now go head-to-head in the final of the Sarmiento Cup against the winner of the game between La Irenita GSquared and La Irenita Grand Champions.
82nd TORTUGAS OPEN – SEMIFINALS #1 – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1:
- SEMIFINAL SUBSIDIARY SARMIENTO CUP
LA ENSENADA RS MURUS SANCTUS 18-13.5 LA IRENITA CLINOVA
La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus: Facundo Sola 8 (1 goal). Alfredo Bigatti 9 (4), Guillermo Caset 9 (11, penalties), Jerónimo del Carril 8 (1). Total: 34.
La Irenita Clinova: Facundo Fernández Llorente 8 (2 goals) , Tomás Fernández Llorente 8 (1), Bautista Bayugar 8 (4, 1 penalty), Isidro Strada 8 (4, 3 penalties). Total: 32.
Score La Ensenada RS Murus Sanctus: (0-2.5) 0-5.5, 2-6.5, 7-7.5, 9-9.5, 12-11.5, 17-13.5, 18-13.5.
- SEMIFINAL – EMILIO DE ANCHORENA CUP
LA NATIVIDAD 10-9 LA DOLFINA SAUDI
La Natividad: Camilo Castagnola 10 (5 goals, 2 penalties and 1 corner), Pablo Pieres 10 (3), Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. 10 (1), Ignatius du Plessis 9 (1) Total: 39.
La Dolfina Saudi: Adolfo Cambiaso 10 (4 goals, 1 corner), David Stirling 10 (3), Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. 9 (2 penalties), Juan Martín Nero 10. Total: 39.
Score La Natividad: 1-1, 3-2, 5-2, 6-3, 7-4, 8-6, 10-9.
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82nd Tortugas Open, Semifinals #1
The semifinals will come to an end on Saturday, October 2:
1.30pm, Semifinal Subsidiary Sarmiento Cup: La Irenita GSquared vs. La Irenita Grand Champions
La Irenita Gsquared: Santiago Loza 8, Segundo Bocchino 7, Martín Podestá 7, Felipe Dabas 7. Total: 29.
La Irenita Grand Champions: Juan Britos 9, Francisco Elizalde 9, Pablo Mac Donough 10, Juan Martín Zubía 8. Total: 36.
Jueces: Gonzalo López Vargas & Rafael Silva.
Third man: Hernán Tasso.
4pm, Semifinal Emilio de Anchorena Cup: Ellerstina vs. Cría La Dolfina
Ellerstina: Facundo Pieres 10, Hilario Ulloa 9, Gonzalo Pieres Jr., Nicolás Pieres 10. Total: 38.
Cría La Dolfina: Rufino Bensadón 8*, Tomás Panelo 8,, Diego Cavanagh 8, Alejo Taranco 8. Total: 32.
*Subs in for Guillermo Terrera, due to an injury on a shoulder.
Umpires: Gastón Lucero & José I. Araya.
Third man: Guillermo Villanueva.
The Tortugas Open final is set to be played on Saturday, October 8: