La Dolfina returns to the Argentine Open Finals

By Alex Webbe

La Dolfina struggled through the first three chukkers with a stubborn and realigned La Aguada lineup before coordinating a series of offensive thrusts that had them cruising to a comfortable 15-7 win and a sweep of all three opponents leading to a return to the finals of the Argentine Open Championship.

Miguel Astrada was sidelined with a torn jockey muscle and was ably replaced by Ignacio Toccalino, but the loss of Javier Astrada had the team searching for a replacement in the form of Julio Novillo Astrada.  Although La Aguada played bravely, it was not the same team that battled La Dolfina to a 10-9 one goal loss in the Tortugas Open.

The defensive abilities of La Aguada have been no secret in the Argentine polo community, so the 1-1 score at the end of the first chukker and the 2-2 score after two periods were no surprise.  A scoreless third chukker was answered by three straight goals from La Dolfina with Pablo MacDonough scoring twice and Adolfo Cambiaso driving the ball through the La Aguada goal posts from 70 yards out.  La Aguada saved face with Nacho Astrada converting a penalty shot for a goal.  At the end of the first half La Dolfina held on to a 5-3 lead.

Cambiaso showed off his prize gray mare, Legend, in the fifth, breaking away from the opening throw-in and scoring his third goal of the game, 6-3.  Pelon Stirling made it 7-3 following up a drive by Cambiaso before Julio Astrada’s second goal of the afternoon stopped the bleeding for La Aguada, 7-4.  Cambiaso added two more goals to the La Dolfina total before the period ended.  After five chukkers of play La Dolfina had stretched its lead to five goals, 9-4.

La Aguada won its only chukker of the day, outscoring La Dolfina 2-1 in the sixth.  Nacho Astrada scored the opening goal of the period with just 11 seconds off the clock.  Less than a minute later Cambiaso scored his team’s tenth goal of the match.  Ignacio Toccalino closed out the chukker with his second goal, but La Dolfina looked unbeatable behind a 10-6 score.

Three unanswered goals from La Dolfina saw Pablo MacDonough score on a pass from Cambiaso.  Cambiaso added another goal and MacDonough ended the chukker with his second goal of the chukker for a seven goal, 13-6 lead with just seven minutes left to play.

MacDonough made it 14-6 just 28 seconds into the final chukker.  Julio Astrada responded with a goal for La Aguada 90 seconds later.  Cambiaso scored the final goal, his eighth of the day for the 15-7 final.

The victory keeps La Dolfina undefeated, with a 3-0 record and returns it to next week’s Argentine Open finals.

Cambiaso led all scoring with eight goals (giving him a total of 25 goals in 2011 Argentine Open play).  MacDonough scored six times and Stirling added a goal.

Julio Astrada scored three goals for La Aguada.  Toccalino and Nacho Astrada scored two goals apiece in the loss.

PILARA PIAGET 16, CHAPA UNO 13

In earlier Open play, Pilara Piaget and Chapa Uno struggled through a penalty plagued contest before Pilara emerged victorious in a 16-13 contest that saw both teams end the season with identical 1-2 records.

In a match that four lead changes and seven ties, Pilara Piaget bounced back from an 11-10 deficit after six chukkers to outscore Chapa Uno 6-2 in the final two chukkers for the win.

After taking an early 2-1 advantage on the strength of a pair of goals from English 8-goaler Luke Tomlinson (one by penalty one from the field), Pilara Piaget fell behind 8-7 at the end of the first half.

Chapa Uno held the lead through the sixth, 10-9, but saw the wheels come off the wagon in the seventh.

Bautista Heguy converted a 60-yard penalty shot at the 2:38 mark of the chukker to tie it at 11-11, followed by a go-ahead goal from teammate Magoo Laprida two minutes later.  Rodrigo Andrade countered with a tying goal from Chapa Uno, 12-12, but goals from Laprida (from the throw-in) and Hilario Ulloa gave Pilara Piaget a 14-12 lead.

Eighth chukker goals from Heguy and Ulloa were answered by a single goal from Pieres as Chapa Uno fell, 16-13.