Zacara and Cortium Advance to Queens Cup Semifinals

By Alex Webbe

In one of the most exciting games in the 2013 Cartier Queens Cup at the Guards Polo Club, Zacara (Lyndon Lea, Matt Perry, Facundo Pieres and Rodrigo Andrade) fell behind by two goals, 9-7, to Les Lions (Henry Fisher, Agustin Merlos, Sebastian Merlos and Joachim Gottschalk) after five chukkers of play and scored three sixth chukker goals for a 10-9 lead. Les Lions tied it at 10-10 to end the chukker and force an overtime period in which Pieres converted a penalty shot for the 11-10 win and a berth in Wednesday’s 3pm semifinal match against Dubai.

Facundo Pieres scored the first goal of the game, 1-0, but Les Lions responded in kind. A goal from Agustin Merlos had it all even at 1-1. Pieres closed out the chukker with his second goal on the day giving Zacara an early 2-1 lead.

Les Lions were determined to keep this one from slipping past them. In an effort to improve on their last meeting with Zacara (an 11-10 loss), they ramped up their offense in the second. Agustin Merlos scored the first two goals of the chukker for a 3-2 Les Lions Lead. Pieres responded with a pair of goals as Zacara took back the lead, 4-3. Sebastian Merlos tied it up with his first goal of the game, 4-4, but Rodrigo Andrade scored the final goal of the chukker for a 5-4 Zacara advantage.

Les Lions adjusted their defense in the third, limiting Zacara to a single goal from Pieres. Agustin Merlos opened the chukker with a goal and Sebastian Merlos closed it with a goal. At the end of the first half it was even at six goals apiece.

The Les Lions defense continued to hold in the fourth, shutting out the powerful Zacara offense and picking up a single goal of their own from Agustin Merlos to go ahead, 7-6, with two chukkers left in regulation time.

Fifth chukker play saw the two teams trade goals, with Les Lions scoring twice to Zacara’s two goals. With seven-and-a-half minutes left in regulation time, Les Lions held on to a narrow 9-8 advantage.

The confidence of the Les Lions team continued to grow in the fifth. Agustin Merlos scored the first goal to extend the Les Lions lead to two goals, 8-6. Pieres answered with a goal to cut the lead back to a single goal, 8-7. Sebastian Merlos added the final goal of the chukker and Les Lions held a two goal lead, 9-7, going into the sixth chukker.

Zacara’s Matt Perry scored the first two goals of the sixth chukker, tying it at 9-9. Andrade’s second goal on the day gave the lead back to Zacara, 10-9. With time running out, Agustin Merlos tied it up at 10-10 for Les Lions, forcing a sudden-death overtime period.

Facundo Pieres scored the winning goal in overtime on a penalty shot for the 11-10 win and a date to meet Dubai in Wednesday’s 3pm semifinals. This was the second time this year that the two teams met; Les Lions losing both of them by a single goal.

Pieres led Zacara with seven goals. Andrade and Perry scored two goals apiece in the win. Agustin Merlos scored seven times for Les Lions. Sebastian Merlos added three goals in a losing effort.

CORTIUM 10, TALANDRACAS 9

Earlier in the day, Cortium (Adrian Kirby, Chris Mackenzie, Francisco Elizalde and Eduardo Novillo Astrada) beat Talandracas 10-9 to earn its semifinal date with El Remanso in Wednesday’s 5 pm contest.

First chukker play was tenuous for both Cortium and Talandracas in the opening chukker. Cortium took the early lead, 2-1, will all three first chukker goals coming on penalty shots.

Both defenses held solid in second chukker play. Cortium and Talandracas each scored a single goal. Cortium held its narrow one goal lead, 3-2.

There was no letup in the third. Once again the teams exchanged goals. At the end of the first half Cortium continued to lead, 4-3.

A determined Talandracas team took the field in the fourth and scored two goals to open goal for Cortium in the early going to tie it up at 5-5. Cortium got back on track, however, outscoring Talandracas 3-1 in the final minutes of the chukker for an 8-6 advantage with two chukkers left to play.

Both teams pressed the opposing defenses in the fifth. Two goals by Cortium were answered by a single goal from Talandracas. The fifth chukker ended with Cortium extending its lead to three goals, 10-7 with one chukker left in regulation play.

Talandracas staged a late game rally, coming up with two unanswered goals in the final chukker of play, but it was not enough. Cortium staved off the heroics of Juan Martin Nero and company and send Edouard Carmignac’s team packing in a 10-9 victory. The win will pit Cortium against El Remanso (Ali Patterson, George Hanbury, Pelon Stirling and Guillermo Terrera) in Wednesday’s 5pm semifinal match.