The Ylvisaker Cup came to an end on Sunday at International Polo Club, in Wellington, USA. The tournament marked the apex of the club’s 20-goal season, and after a competitive few weeks of polo, Valiente and GSA made it to the final stage, ready to fight for the title.
The first chukka saw Bob Jornayvaz’s boys take control. While GSA’s Mariano González scored the first goal of the match, Valiente’s Bautista Panelo and Adolfo Cambiaso dominated the play in the first seven minutes. In the second chukka, GSA gained confidence and managed to take the lead thanks to work from Dylan Rossiter and Henry Porter. Valiente tied the game 3-all in the first minutes of the third, just as Matías Magrini came through to score his fist goal of the afternoon for GSA, giving them a 4-3 advantage by half time.
This tournament, which marked Valiente’s 2018 debut, was particularly poignant for the Jornayvaz organisation, as they had never won the Cup before. In fact, they qualified for the final in 2016, but the match was never played. In the second half of the final, Cambiaso began to shine. Two goals in the fourth and two in the fifth changed the momentum of the match.
Valiente began the sixth and final chukka leading 7-5, before Santi Torres scored for his team sending the organisation into a burst of celebration. Dylan Rossiter converted a goal to shorten the advantage, but it was too late, and Valiente claimed the prestigious title for the first time.
Adolfo Cambiaso: “This is the first time we win the Ylvisaker with Valiente. We made it to two finals, the last one was a couple of years ago, but it wasn’t played in the end. It has always been a sort of unlucky tournament for Valiente. But we ended up winning and I’m very happy. We always try to have a plan, but we changed it many times because they are a very good four-man team and they play amazingly well. I started at back and then I went forward. We changed a lot. I think I scored a couple of good penalties in the end, and that marked the turning point of the game.”
Valiente: Bob Jornayvaz 2, Bautista Panelo 2 (1 goal), Santi Torres 6 (1), Adolfo Cambiaso 10 (6). Total: 20.
GSA: Henry Porter 2 (1 goal), Dylan Rossiter 4 (2), Mariano González 7 (2), Matías Magrini 7 (1). Total: 20.
Score Valiente: 2-1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-4, 7-5, 8-6.
MVP: Adolfo Cambiaso.
BPP: Macarena, played by Mariano González.
Top Scorers of the tournament: Nic Roldan (35), Adolfo Cambiaso (28), Sapo Caset (26), Sebastián Merlos (25), Facundo Pieres (22).
GEORGE HAAS CUP FINAL: AUDI 14-9 TRAVIESO
Prior to the main Ylvisaker Cup final, AUDI took on Travieso in the Subsidiary trophy, the George Haas Cup. Marc and Grant Ganzi’s squad were superior in the first half of the tournament, but Travieso woke up and managed to tie the game in the fourth chukka. Nic Roldan came through for AUDI and his team claimed the 14-9 win and the trophy.
Marc Ganzi: “I think we started dictating the pace, and then in the third and fourth Sebastian [Merlos] took control of the game, and Tomi García del Rio played out a very good fourth chukka. We were a bit disorganised, we switched the throw-ins in the fifth and sixth, and then started to reopen the game, we put the game in the back of Tomi and Mackenzie Weisz. That’s the way I like to play polo, I like to move the ball. I’m really happy to win with Grant. There’s no better feeling than to play with your son. I think Grant is really taking his game up a long way.”
AUDI: Grant Ganzi 2 (1 goal), Nic Roldan 8 (7), Nico Pieres 8 (3), Marc Ganzi 2 (3). Total: 20.
Travieso: Mackenzie Weisz 1 (1 goal), Tony Calle 3 (1), Sebastián Merlos 9 (3), Tomás García del Río 7 (4). Total: 20.
Score AUDI: 2-0, 4-2, 6-4, 7-7, 10-8, 14-9.
MVP: Nico Pieres.
BPP: Flor, played by Tomás García del Río.
Action at International Polo Club continues on Wednesday, February 28, with two tournaments of different levels. On one hand, the 26-goal season begins with a match between Valiente and Daily Racing Forum for the CV Whitney Cup, while the 20-goal continues with the Iglehart Cup, which sees six teams in competition.