On Tuesday 9th April Park Place took on Clearwater in the U.S Open Polo Championship at the National Polo Center. Park Place going in having won both their games were looking to seal their place in the Semi-finals, hoping for a win over Clearwater who have lost all their matches so far.
Despite a struggle with injuries and substitutions, this time Jared Zenni out on a black card and subbed by Geronimo Obregon, Clearwater pushed Park Place throughout the first half, keeping the possession even and ensuring they remained in the game before the 4th chukka saw them score 6 straight goals and keep Park Place off the scoreboard, putting themselves into the lead 11-7 going into the penultimate chukka.
While Park Place managed to close the gap in the final two chukkas and Britos brought the score within 1 goal with just seconds on the clock, it wasn't enough and Clearwater secured their first win of the tournament, leaving the Semi-final spots wide open after a score of 13-12
Substitutions:
Geronimo Obregon in for Jared Zenni due to a black card (accumulation of yellow cards)
Chukka Breakdown:
Score Progression:
Game Statistics:
Featured Player:
Our featured player here is Lucas Criado Jr showcasing his agility and quick thinking, skills which make him a strong number 1, taking advantage of loose balls, passes and steals to gain possession and score running goals.
Check out this video of him making his mark in the match against Park Place:
Selected Highlights:
Gringo Colombres outruns two defensive players to run the ball to goal:
A team combination play resulting in a key goal to take the lead, Gringo Colombres hits an under the neck pass down the field, picked up by Obregon and sent through the goal: