The final day of group play in the Talacrest Prince of Wales Championship began with Bardon capturing their first victory, defeating Vikings 10-9 on the Duke’s Ground at Guards Polo Club.
A match that could have been won by either team, Bardon and Vikings battled back and forth with equal opportunities on both sides of the ball. Bardon’s Francisco Elizalde emerged as a standout player in the match, finishing with seven goals on very efficient 80% shooting from the field and converting all three of his penalty attempts. Juan Martin Zubia provided the offense for Vikings, scoring six of his team’s nine goals, while consistently regaining possession. The lead changed hands on numerous occasions but over the final two chukkas, Vikings found the goal on just one of their final six shots, opening the door for Bardon to take home the one-goal victory. 
End-to-end polo with few stoppages highlighted a competitive first chukka, however it was a pass from Matias Machado to Elizalde that produced the only goal of the opening seven minutes, leaving Bardon ahead 1-0. Elizalde continued to be the driving force of the Bardon attack, scoring his second and third goals in the second chukka to extend his team’s lead to two. Vikings struggled to find an offensive spark with their only goal through two chukkas coming off the mallet of Sebastian Merlos resulting in a 3-1 deficit. A penalty conversion for Elizalde pushed Bardon’s lead to three as they looked to run away with the game, but Vikings provided a significant response before halftime. Scoring three consecutive goals, Zubia singlehandedly erased Bardon’s advantage, leaving the teams all square at 4-all through three chukkas.
A revitalized Vikings team stormed into the second half, wasting little time in taking their first lead of the match. Chris Mackenzie scored seconds into play, while Zubia quickly followed with his fifth goal to give Vikings the 6-4 and overcoming their slow start to take control of the game. Elizalde ended Vikings’ run with consecutive goals, but Bardon remained trailing by a goal with two chukkas to play, needing to slow Zubia and find consistent offense. Converting a crucial Penalty 4, Zubia’s impact continued to be a factor, but Bardon refocused and began to mount their comeback. Alfredo Bigatti stepped into the spotlight, scoring two goals while assisting on the third to quickly turn a two-goal deficit into a one-goal lead with one chukka remaining. Vikings tied the score leaving minutes to decide the victor and it was the pressure from Bardon that was ultimately the difference. Receiving a Penalty 2, Elizalde hit the ball through the posts for his seventh goal to secure Bardon’s first victory of the tournament in the 10-9 triumph.