Fri 27th Nov 2020127th HSBC Argentine Open Begins This Weekend Full schedule & team lists
Tomorrow, Saturday 28 November, the 127th HSBC Argentine Open will begin, with 10 teams pitted against one another. Zone A will see La Dolfina Saudi line-up complete once again after being plagued by injuries earlier in the season and seeking their eight consecutive title, while Zone B will feature Ellerstina, recent winners of both the 80th Tortugas Open and the 127th RUS Hurlingham Open and therefore the only team eligible for the Argentine Triple Crown title this year.
The team lists sees five players make their Argentine Open debuts, with Martín Podestá, Santiago Loza, Tomás Fernández Llorente, Pedro Falabella and Segundo Bocchino all competing in the illustrious time for the first time.
127th HSBC Argentine Open Schedule:
Saturday 28 November (Zone A): RS Murus Sanctus vs. La Irenita II (P1) & La Natividad Las Monjitas vs. La Irenita (P2)
Sunday 29 November (Zone B): La Dolfina Polo Ranch vs. Cría GT (P3) & Los Machitos vs. La Ensenada La Aguada (P4)
Tuesday 1 December (Zone A): Winner P2 vs La Irenita II & La Dolfina Saudi vs Loser P2
Wednesday 2 December (Zone B): Winner P4 vs Cría GT & Ellerstina vs Loser P4
Saturday 5 December (Zone A): La Dolfina Saudi vs. La Irenita II & RS Murus Sanctus vs. Winner P2
Sunday 6 December (Zone B): Ellerstina vs. Cría GT & La Dolfina Polo Ranch vs Winner P4
The remaining four qualifying days will be held on Tuesday 8 December, Wednesday 9 December, Saturday 12 December and Sunday 13 December, with the Final scheduled for Saturday 19 December.
127th HSBC Argentine Open Teams:
Zone A
La Dolfina Saudi (40): Adolfo Cambiaso (10), David Stirling (10), Pablo Mac Donough (10) & Juan Martin Nero (10)
La Natividad/Las Monjitas (36): Camilo Castagnola (8), Pablo Pieres (10), Barto Castagnola (9) & Ignatius Du Plessis (9)
RS Murus Sanctus (35): Facundo Sola (9), Francisco Elizalde (8), Guillermo Caset (10) & Alfredo Cappella Barabucci (8)
La Irenita (30): Martín Podestá (7), Juan Martín Zavaleta (8), Facundo Fernández Llorente (7) & Juan Martín Zubía (8)
La Irenita II (29): Santiago Loza (7), Tomás Fernández Llorente (7), Juan Ruiz Guiñazú (8) & Pedro Falabella (7)
Zone B
Ellerstina Johor (39): Facundo Pieres (10), Hilario Ulloa (10), Gonzalo Pieres (9) & Nico Pieres (10
La Dolfina Polo Ranch (33): Guillermo Terrera (8), Juan Britos (8), Diego Cavanagh (9) & Alejo Taranco (8)
Los Machitos (31): Agustín Merlos (8), Ignacio Toccalino (8), Mariano Aguerre (7) & Santiago Toccalino (8)
La Ensenada/La Aguada (29): Segundo Bocchino (6), Alfredo Bigatti (8), Matías Torres Zavaleta (8) & Jerónimo Del Carril (7)
Cría GT (32): Valerio Zubiaurre (8), Cristian Laprida (8), Joaquín Pittaluga (8) & Ignacio Laprida (8)
Photograph: Ellerstina are the only team eligible to win the 2020 Argentine Triple Crown. By Matías Callejo / Prensa AAP
Mon 23rd Nov 2020Ellerstina Win Hurlingham Open 16-11 win against RS Murus Sanctus
Yesterday, Sunday 22 November, the Pieres brothers alongside Hilario Ulloa, followed up their Tortugas Open win by securing the second leg of the Argentine Triple Crown with a 16-11 defeat of RS Murus Sanctus, securing themselves the 127th Hurlingham Open title. This means that Ellerstina remains the only team eligible for the 2020 Triple Crown title, which the team has not held since 2010.
Both Ellerstina and RS Murus Sanctus had met previously in the Semi Finals of The Tortugas Open, which saw Ellerstina secure a narrow 15013 with a nail-biting display of high goal polo; therefore everyone was expecting another close match. RS Murus Sanctus began things well, scoring within the opening seconds, but Ellerstina fought back and built upon solid teamwork to hold back RS Murus Sanctus who struggled to elude Ellerstina and by half-time the scores rested 10-6 in favour of Ellerstina.
In the fifth and sixth chukkas Ellerstina outscored RS Murus Sanctus five goals to one, Facundo Pieres scored 10 goals overall in the Final as is now the top goal scorer of the tournament (30 goals) and also currently for The Triple Crown (56 goals); but in the seventh chukka RS Murus Sanctus fought back with three unanswered goals to bring them within striking distance of Ellerstina. However, RS Murus Sanctus’ hopes were short lived as Ellerstina seized control of the last chukka, with impressive goals by both Ulloa and Facundo Pieres securing Ellerstina a 16-11 win and with it the 127th Hurlingham Open title. A full report will be included in the next issue of Polo Times, why not gift a friend a subscription for Christmas by clicking here. The Hurlingham Open Final Teams:
Ellerstina (39): Facundo Pieres (10), Hilario Ulloa (10), Gonzalo Pieres (9) & Nico Pieres (10)
RS Murus Sanctus (35): Facundo Sola (9), Francisco Elizalde (8), Sapo Caset (10) & Alfredo Cappella Barabucci (8)
Photograph: Ellerstina, winners of the 127th Hurlingham Open, By Matías Callejo / Prensa AAP
Thu 19th Nov 2020Ellerstina Reach Hurlingham Final 15-10 win against La Natividad/Las Monjitas
On Wednesday 18 November, the second Hurlingham Open finalist was decided in the match between Ellerstina and La Natividad/Las Monjitas on Field 2 of the Alfredo Lalor Headquarters of the Argentine Polo Association in Pilar. Prior to the match, it was expected to be a closely fought contest, but on the day Ellerstina seized control from the outset and overwhelmed La Natividad/Las Monjitas with superior play in the first four chukkas mainly owing to the performance of Facundo Pieres, who is currently the tournament’s top scorer with 20 goals. Ellerstina took advantage of all the penalty opportunities passed their way by La Natividad/Las Monjitas and by the second chukka had secured themselves an 8-1 lead.
Ellerstina seemed to ease of the gas in the second half, which allowed La Natividad/Las Monjitas to bounce back into the competition and closed the gap to just three goals with a score of 11-7 in the fifth chukka. With viewers tuning in via the AAP’s livestreaming service on the edge of their seats, wondering if La Natividad/Las Monjitas would be able to turn the tables and secure themselves a place in the Final there was all to play for in the final chukkas. However, Ellerstina’s earlier lead proved too much to overcome and secured themselves a place in Sunday’s Final with a score of 15-10, where they will face RS Murus Sanctus.
The Hurlingham Open Semi Final Teams:
RS Murus Sanctus (35): Facundo Sola (9), Francisco Elizalde (8), Guillermo Caset (10) & Alfredo Cappella Barabucci (8)
La Dolfina Saudi (34): Adolfo Cambiaso (10, Adolfo Cambiaso (6), Pablo Mac Donough (10) & Ignacio Laprida (8)
Ellerstina (39): Facundo Pieres (10), Hilario Ulloa (10), Gonzalo Pieres (9) & Nicolás Pieres (10)
La Natividad/Las Monjitas (36): Camilo 'Jeta' Castagnola (8), Pablo ‘Polito’ Pieres (10), Bartolomé Castagnola (9) & Ignatius Du Plessis (9)
Photograph: Ellerstina has secured themselves a place in Sunday’s Final. By Sergio Llamera
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