The All Pro Polo League (APPL) USA came to an end yesterday at Outback, in Wellington, Florida, with four exciting matches. The league works with a set of new rules to motivate dynamic, open, and fully professional polo.
Four teams, composed of the top twelve young, up-and-coming American players and four 10-goal superstars (Facundo Pieres, Sapo Caset, Gonzalito Pieres, and Hilario Ulloa), battled it out to win the APPL Eagle trophy. Open Polo and La Zeta kicked off the day’s action with a fast and fluid match. Team USPA player Santi Torres meshed well with 10-goal legend Gonzalito Pieres, and Open Polo claimed the victory to qualify for the final. Up next, La Hache-Villa del Lago defeated Sapo Caset’s Santa Maria de Lobos, in a game which saw spectacular runs from
Hilario Ulloa. La Hache’s win allowed them to advance in the tournament and fight Open Polo for the title.
The APPL USA final was the expression of full speed polo. It was a well fought match, with La Hache maintaining a slight advantage throughout. A goal by Wesley Bryan tied the match just as the final bell rang, taking the final into a penalty shootout. After several missed attempts, Jason Crowder sent a 60-yard shot between the posts to give
La Hache-Villa del Lago the All Pro Polo League title.
“I am very happy to have played and to have won with La Hache,” shares Ulloa. “The league creates a wonderful spectacle, with open, four-man polo. I think this is a great initiative on Javier Tanoira’s part. He always tells us that this project belongs to everyone, because it is something designed to benefit polo, and that we all have to feel
included.”
“I like that Javier [Tanoira] invited the best young Americans to play with the 10 goalers,” tells Caset. “I think that it is great for polo as a whole for us to mix. A lot of people are very excited about the league. Every player put their best foot forward and lots of people came out to support us. I would love the All Pro to continue evolving.”
“I think the APPL is something polo needs if it is ever going to reach the level of any other sport in the world,” says Mariano Gracida, finalist of the tournament. “As a young player from the States trying to make it to play 22-goal, it is very special to be playing with the 10-goalers. For me it is a learning experience without having the pressure to win, and I think that allowed me to play better. Personally, it was my favourite game of the year.”
A large crowd of people gathered to watch the tournament, and many others tuned in online via the USPA network. “This was the first time we had the chance to work with Chukker.TV, where they filmed and live streamed the matches,” highlights Javier Tanoira, Founder of the APPL. “What they do is amazing, and their studio is very
impressive. They are the kind of partner we need if we want to film our tournaments at a high level.”
The All Pro Polo League World Tour continues in April, with a tournament in São Paulo, Brazil. Follow @allpropolo for information and news about the league!
- La Hache – Villa del Lago
Hilario Ulloa
Jason Crowder
Jared Zenni
Justin Daniels - La Zeta
Facundo Pieres
Kris Kampsen
Juan Monteverde
Lucas Escobar - Open Polo
Gonzalito Pieres
Santi Torres
Nano Gracida
Wesley Bryan - Santa Maria de Lobos
Sapo Caset
Pelon Escapite
Tommy Collingwood
Nico Escobar