After his win in the first tournament of the Argentine Triple Crown the Hurlingham Open, and as we head into the first matches of the Argentine Open which rounds out the tournament series, we take a look at player Bartolome Castagnola (9 goals in the UK, 10 in Argentina) who forms part of this year's 40 goal La Natividad line up.
In the UK he played for Desert Palm Polo in both the Queen's Cup and the Gold Cup, lending his significant skills to the side and helping them to reach the quarter finals of the Gold Cup. Playing predominantly in the last man position, he is a formidible defensive player, neutralising attacking plays and converting them into positive plays for his side. He is a master of steals and interceptions, gaining possession often in his own defensive half before utilising his powerful hit to push the ball up to his attacking teammates with accuracy.
As a strong horseman, not easily moved once he is on the ball, he is confident in his ability to maintain possession even under heavy defensive pressure and ride offs and therefore he is relaxed on the ball even in his team's danger zone. He holds onto the ball, slows the game and buys time, allowing his players time to move up into space before he fires the ball up, gaining ground and creating attacking and scoring opportunities.
His powerful and accurate hit also make him indispensible from the penalty line where his 62.5% accuracy meant 10 penalties to be added to his 11 field goals (3 from outside the 60).
His excels in areas including:
- Ride-off
- General Defense
- Shooting
Check out this video showing Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. doing what he does best: