A thrilling week of play in the 128th Abierto Argentino de Polo concluded at Palermo with La Natividad responding from their opening round loss by claiming the important 18-13 victory against La Dolfina Brava Polo Team.
Looking to recover from their opening loss to Chapaelufu, La Natividad met La Dolfina Brava Polo Team, who was looking to be the first team to three victories in the tournament. Shooting just 17% in the first half, La Natividad turned their efficiency around in the second half, converting 50% of their chances in the second half to race ahead. Finishing a perfect 8 for 8 from the penalty line, Camilo Castagnola led La Natividad offensively, but it was a complete team effort that helped La Natividad overcome Guillermo Terrera’s five-goal, two assist effort to claim the 18-13 victory.
The opening chukka displayed the beginning of an evenly matched contest with both teams shooting at goal four times, yet zero field goals were scored, leaving the only offense to come on a Penalty 2 conversion for Camilo Castagnola. La Dolfina Brava Polo Team quickly brought the game back into a tie in the second chukka, led by the play of Terrera who excelled in the #1 position with two goals and an assist to Tomas Panelo. Struggling to find the goal from the field, La Natividad continued to find offense from the penalty line, where they scored five of their seven first half goals. Capitalizing on their final four shots of the half, La Dolfina Brava Polo Team relied on the duo of Terrera and Panelo to hold a slim 8-7 lead and leave La Natividad facing a second potential upset heading into the second half.
Solving their inefficiency from the field allowed La Natividad to strike first in the fifth chukka as Ignatius Du Plessis moved forward from the back position to score two goals. Poroto Cambiaso provided a brief response for La Dolfina Brava Polo Team but it wasn’t enough to hold onto their lead as the momentum swung in La Natividad’s favour. With all four players rotating effectively, La Natividad found their opening to take the first significant lead of the game after receiving one goal each from Camilo and Bartolome Castagnola, as well as Polito Pieres. Cambiaso’s fourth penalty goal along with Terrera’s fifth field goal helped La Dolfina Brava Polo Team inch closer in the seventh chukka, pulling within just two goals with one chukka remaining. However, the improved accuracy of La Natividad in the second half proved to be the difference as they secured the victory with three field goals for the 18-13 win.