Photos 2/2

More photos (1/2) from the Final

Nice video 13.45 min in spanish from ESPN (Arg) starts after a few 20 seconds)

La Dolfina Champions!

In an incredible game La Dolfina dominate Ellerstina 18-10

In amazing game with allways La Dolfina infront all the game

Better selection of horses and with a team work lead by Nero (my MVP) La Dolfina give the impresion that Ellerstina was lost in the field.

Field 1 in better condition than the games played last weekend.

Crowd was aspecting a harder resistance from the Pieres team but La Dolfina closed all road to the goal with Nero as guardian

Cambiasso Jr. played as the previous games in a new role that gives his teammates more action not depending all from him

Pablo Mac Donough in a good match worked in the midfield against the elaboration of any attack from his former team (so he was one of the clues wy Ellerstina couldnt score)

The game was for La Dolfina alltime, and the result could be worst if Cambiasso Jr was more effective (lost as least easy 4 goals)

Better conditioning shows results, in the horses of La Dolfina, shown healthier and won practically all important runs

One of the clues also was the selection of horses, in the 4th chukka when I saw both teams selection, I told that it was wrong pick for Ellerstina and they will loose the chukka for at leat 4 goals that result one of the worst chullas for Ellerstina

Ellerstina to thin, could been overtrained

Todays the Final of the 118th Argentine Polo Open

Todays is the Day!

Lovely weather, nice temperature, a little breeze, great day for polo!

Nerves from both sides, unslept night for almost all players... Facundo Pieres in his Nespresso blog tells about his feeling and what the Final of this tournament represents in all polo players.

Not only to win it, to just play the Final give the impression about the grandeur of this day.

In La Nacion newspaper a really uncommon photo appears in the front page of the polo section (shown above), the former team Ellerstina is gathered to talk about this afternoon game.

What a difference with other sports!, remember that two of the former members of the team now are playing for La Dolfina...

Information tells that La Dolfina didn´t play their horses this week, just individual training (amazing horsemanship!)

Hoping for an imposible... a good day for the Referees, the best show on earth in polo is in their whistle and hands!!

ELLERSTINA TO THE FINAL! 18-14 over Estancia Grande

Ellestina again in the Final.

Nice day, mild weather sunny, but the Field 1 ( in poor condition of the season - see photo) after the weekend.

Ellerstina with a little help, referees stoped the game insistently in favor of one team

Ellerstina received that aid mainly in the first part of the game (3rd chukkas: in all action could be perfectly called to the other team at first hand in my opinion)

Ellerstina doesnt need the protection to get to the final, allways have one more action than the other team

Score progression: Ellerstina-Estancia Grande 4-2, 4-1, 1-3, 3-1, 2-2, 2-1: total 18-14

Ellerstina horse a saw them over stressed, to thin, posible over trained, remember that they have one day less to rest than La Dolfina ( also I saw them in better conditions too) for the final that will be next friday (program changed this year).

Injures during the game: Ignacio Heguy a cut in his right arm but could play and Facundo Pieres right arm a cramp continue playing with difficuties, a horse had a cut near his eye I think it was Tarantula (one of Facundo P best horses)

Bad thing of the day: was the continuosly fouls from eath side, marked or not, due to the deficient actions of the Referees to control the game, they must be ban for the Final in my opinion.

LA DOLFINA TO THE FINAL 15-7 over La Aguada

Sunny nice weather Field 1 (in regular condition)

La Dolfina Dubai shows that polo must be played in accordance to what you posses, your main attributes.

It won over an devaluated version of La Aguada (the unlucky brothers again!) due to the injured Javier Novillo Astrada to add misery to this team that didn't had Miguel also injured for this season.

Another thing to appoint is that La Aguda had 15 of their best horses injured this season too, that worries them as much as their lost players.

According to some well informed friends the team will change for the 2012 season with an inclusion of Alejandro NA in the next team.

Breeding changes must be took right of way!

Could be harmed with their next year Handicaps

Under these disadvantages, La Aguada played a extremely defensive game (their trademark !) to complicate the erratic game of the Dream Team in the firsts chukkas (until the 3rd the score was even in 2 goals per team!) until the demolition take place when playing La Dolfina with their best horses started to play with three players in offense with Nero as a classic back, to dominate the field the scoreboard is conclusive.

Scoreboard: LA Dolfina 1-1,, 2-2, 2-2, 5-3, 9-4, 10-6, 13-6 and 15-7

Scorers: La Dolfina Cambiasso Jr. 8:1 penalty, Stirling 1, Mac Donough 6 , Nero 0 ; La Aguada Javier NA 2, Toccalino 2, Eduardo NA 1 , Ignacio NA 2 penalties

A saw La Dolfina horses in better shape, to be at their best for the Final (next friday)!, as an example, Leyend played her best game in the season an showed the way to get out the La Aguada trap...

MVP are 2 in my opinion: Adolfo Cambiaso Jr., scorer of the match, in one of his best game of the season (returned to his old version as main leader player role how plays and make play the others), and Pablo Mac Donough in his role of the aid for a better version of Cambiaso Jr., a real powerhouse for La Dolfina.
Fouls: La Dolfina Dubai 13 (must improve in this section)- La Aguada: 5
Goals/Shots : La Dolfina 14/25 - La Aguada: 5/13

Pilara Piaget 16 vs. Chapa Uno 13 - Zone A

The day was one of the nice days of this season, so it was a perfect day for people to see polo in Buenos Aires.

Sunny mild temperature with good pressure, it was not necessary to give extra aids to players ansd polo horses during the game.

Zone A, Pilara 16 vs. Chapa Uno 13

Scoreboard: 2-1, 3-3, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 10-11, 14-12, 16-13

Through the score progression it could show that was an interesting game, with two similar teams in handicap (Pilara 33 goals against Chapa Uno 32 goals) so in field 2 it was entertain to see the last chukkas when the final line was near for both teams, in close finish give the game to Pilara, that appears to be a great challenger for the coming years.

Chapa Uno is a new team, that will also improve with a better selection of horses (commonly known as "organization" here) as their not close to any great organization or breeder they have to look for an aid in this section.

Scorers: Pilara Piaget Ulloa 4 Laprida 3:1 penalty, B Heguy 6:4 pen., Tomlinson 3:2 pen.; For Chapa Uno (Bautista's Heguy Team -see Pilara formation) Paul Pieres 4:1, Caset 4:1, Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade 5 (in my opinion MVP), Garcia Huidobro 0.

Ribiero de Andrade made his best appearance in the Argentine Open, as a solid player well mounted, most be rised in his handicap to sustain his progress.