The Team:
Gillian Johnston (0)
Polito Pieres (9)
Julian de Lusarreta (7)
Lorenzo Chavanne (6)
In a slight change from last year's line up, Coca Cola have brought in the young and talented Lorenzo Chavanne to replace Keko Magrini, while the rest of the team remains the same with sponsor Gillian Johnston joined by Coca Cola stalwarts Polito Pieres and Julian de Lusarreta.
With Lusarreta out a lot of last season due to injury, now that the line up is complete, Coca Cola will be hoping to improve on their performance last year where they reached the Semi Finals of all three Gauntlet of Polo tournaments.
The team's succss lies in their strong four player dynamic which leaves no weak spots to be targeted. Gillian Johnston is a clever, forward running number 1 who is solid in front of goal and reads her teammates' plays well, positioning herself perfctly for combination plays. Both Lusarreta and Polito Pieres are experts at opening up the field of play, creating space and capitalising on opportunities. Polito is particularly quick and agile, picking up loose balls and capitalising on mistakes before accelerating away and showcasing his superior ball control skills on the run while Lusarreta uses his power and ride offs to take possession.
Chavanne's role will be to work hard on the man to allow space for Polito as well as running up to be a target for passes and attacking plays as, while the team is solid in defence, it is their attacking power that will win them the games they need to reach those elusive finals.
2024 Performance:
CV Whitney Semi Finals
USPA Gold Cup Semi Finalist
US Open Semi Finalists
Gauntlet of Polo Stats 2024
Games played: 13
Goals: 143 (107 field goals from 259 shots to goal - 41.3% accuracy)
Penalties: 36 out of 52 attempts - 69.2%
Throw Ins: 164
Assists: 65
Check out this highlights video showcasing some examples of the team's highlights from their time playing in the USA last year in areas including:
- Steal
- Individual Plays
- General Defense
- Shooting