The seventh day of the 128th Abierto Argentino de Polo began with La Irenita Polo Team defeating Alegria Fish Creek 14-11 in a game with large implications for 2022 Triple Crown qualifying and avoiding the bottom place in Zone A.
In search of their first victory, La Irenita Polo Team produced a spirited effort to lead from start to finish with accurate shooting from the field and the penalty line. Isidro Strada converted seven of his 10 penalty attempts, while Alegria Fish Creek struggled to keep pace despite producing nine more shots due to inaccurate 29% shooting from the field. With an organized defense, La Irenita Polo Team maintained their lead and captured their first win with the 14-11 victory.
With each team generating one attempt each from the field and penalty line in the first chukka, it was the accuracy of La Irenita Polo Team’s Strada that gave his team the early 2-0 lead. Alegria Fish Creek pushed forward in the second chukka, generating momentum after a Penalty 4 conversion from Bautista Bayugar and field goal from Clemente Zavaleta. However, play swung back in La Irenita Polo Team’s favour in a 3-0 third chukka that allowed them to extend the lead to four. Receiving one goal each from Strada, Ignacio Toccalino and Segundo Bocchino, La Irenita Polo Team’s balanced attack led them into halftime ahead 9-4.
Maintaining a consistent defensive strategy, La Irenita Polo Team kept Alegria Fish Creek off the scoreboard from the field in the fifth and sixth chukka, helping them hold on to the five-goal lead. Two penalty conversions from Bayugar were met by goals from Strada and Toccalino leaving just two chukkas remaining between La Irenita Polo Team and their first win. Still facing the five-goal difference entering the final chukka, Alegria Fish Creek made a final push, receiving one goal each from Bayugar, Joaquin Pittaluga and Santiago Cernadas, but it was too late to make a comeback in the 14-11 defeat.
Photo Credit: ©Matias Callejo