Alegria Edges Piaget, 8-7, In Penalty-Marred U.S. Open Game

 

 

Written by: Sharon Robb

WELLINGTON, FL—April 9, 2013 - In a game marred by 24 penalties, two injuries and one player ejection, Alegria slipped past Piaget, 8-7, Monday to remain undefeated in the 109th Maserati U.S. Open at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Piaget was forced to play with a makeshift lineup after 10-goaler Sapo Caset left the game in the fifth chukker with a severe right groin pull.

Twenty-year-old Matias Sosa, who was subbing for injured team captain Melissa Ganzi (groin pull), sat down to enable five-goalers Juan Bollini and Lucas Lalor to play in the final two chukkers.

It was the second loss for Piaget after losing its opener to Lechuza Caracas, but it was the most frustrating. Piaget, Faraway and Orchard Hill remain winless in Bracket II.

The game was physical from the opening chukker.

Alegria’s Facundo Obregon was ejected with 43 seconds left in the opening chukker and sat out the second chukker for dangerous mallet play against Piaget 10-goaler Miguel Astrada. Astrada was forced off his horse with a wrenched neck when he got hit behind the saddle by Obregon but returned to the game.

Obregon returned to the game in the third chukker and was whistled for another penalty but remained in the game much to the dismay of Astrada and his teammates.

With the game tied at 7-7, Caset went down with 4:29 left in the fifth chukker with a groin pull. He returned to the game with his right thigh taped but was in obvious pain and was forced to leave the game for good a few minutes later, limping into the players’ tent.

Caset will work with trainers on Tuesday to determine the extent of his injury.

“It was a crazy day,” Piaget coach Joey Casey said. “Miguel hurt his neck so we had to take a time out for that. Then Sapo pulled his groin. He tried to go back in to see if he would be okay but it just hurt too bad.”

Throughout the marathon game that seemed to stop every other minute for a penalty whistle, the officiating took its toll on both teams, particularly Piaget which mounted several scoring opportunities only to have penalties change the rhythm and flow of the game.

Said Bollini, “We cannot break our rhythm. Every time we were in control and we got the ball, every time we passed it there was a whistle. We needed a bit of luck and we didn’t have it today. I think we could have won today.”

Nacho Badiola, at 23 making his 26-goal IPC debut this season, played well defensively and scored three goals to lead the team. Astrada and Caset each had two goals. Obregon finished with three goals all on penalty shots. Mariano Aguerre and Hilario Ulloa each had two goals.

“I thought we played well,” Casey said. “We had opportunities. When Juan and Lucas went in they played very well.”

Piaget overcame a 2-0 first chukker deficit with back-to-back goals from Badiola to tie the game. Alegria’s Julian Mannix came up with a big hit on a breakaway to put Alegria back in the lead, 3-2.

Piaget tied it 3-3 early in the third chukker when Astrada took the ball out of the air and drove downfield to score despite Obregon’s foul.

Obregon scored on back-to-back penalty two shots within two minutes to lead 5-3. Badiola came right back with a nicely angled nearside tailshot to cut the lead to one (5-4) with less than two minutes. Sapo’s penalty shot with 33 seconds tied the game at 5-5 to end the chukker.

Ulloa scored a quick goal to open the fourth chukker for a 6-5 lead. Sosa stole the ball with six minutes to set up Astrada’s goal for a 6-6 tie. Caset scored after a great long pass from Astrada to regain the lead, 7-6. With less than a minute left, Aguerre stole the ball and tied the game at 7-7.

After nearly six minutes without a goal in the fifth chukker, Aguerre scored what turned out to be the winning goal on a 100-yarder with 1:31 left.

The sixth chukker was scoreless but was not without its share of penalties with seven.

“We had three chances to tie it,” Casey said. “We just got unlucky and didn’t. Alegria is a rough team. It’s the U.S. Open and everybody is trying to play to win.”  

Grand Champions Polo Club-based Piaget will next play Zacara on Thursday at 10 a.m.

The U.S. Open Polo Championship, first played in 1904 at Van Courtland Park, celebrated 100 years in 2004. It is one of three major polo tournaments worldwide along with the British and Argentine Opens. It is also the third jewel of U.S. polo’s 26-goal Triple Crown that includes the C.V. Whitney Cup and USPA Piaget Gold Cup.

Since 1996, the U.S. Open has been held in South Florida. In 2005, Julio Gracida added to the Gracida family’s combined record of 36 U.S. Open Polo Championship wins.

AUDI/PIAGET U.S. OPEN SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 11, Piaget vs. Zacara, 10 a.m.

Sunday, April 14, Quarterfinals

Wednesday, April 17, Hall of Fame Cup, semifinal; U.S. Open Semifinals, 2 and 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 20: Hall of Fame Cup final, 4 p.m.

Sunday, April 21: Maserati U.S. Open final, 3 p.m.

GRAND CHAMPIONS POLO CLUB

WHERE: On the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington.