La Natividad won against La Hache by a score of 12-9 in the Argentine Open at Palermo on Tuesday 3rd December securing their spot as the first of the two finalists for this Sunday's championship defining match. The Tortugas Open champions, La Hache, put up a great performance in what was a close and exciting match, but it was the Argentine Open defending champions who pressed home their advantage to take the coveted spot in the final and be in with a chance to defend their title.
With two such strong and proven team combinations on the field, it was an exhibition of clever, team combination plays, each teammate anticipating each other's positions to play open, fluid polo with pinpoint passes and backhands.
While possession was relatively even between the two sides, La Natividad were able to maximise their opportunities better, scoring 11 of their 25 shots at goal from the field while La Hache scored only 7 of their 23 opportunities and were unable to capitalise on their 15 successful throw ins. The difference was made by a dominant performance from Camilo "Jeta" Castagnola who scored 7 goals for his team and was integral to the side's success.
By the 4th chukka La Natividad had found their stride, leaning into Jeta's attacking plays to score 4 goals that would put them back into the lead that they would maintain throughout the rest of the match despite constant pressure from La Hache who never dropped their effort levels. A strong 7th chukka put La Hache back within 2 goals of the leaders but a goalless final chukka sealed the deal and it will be La Natividad who take to the field on Sunday to play for the most prestigious title of the season.
The Teams:
Chukka Breakdown:
Score Progression:
Game Statistics:
