Mon 7th Oct 2024La Natividad Win 131st Hurlingham Open Historic 80 goal match
On Saturday 5 October, La Dolfina Saudi and La Natividad faced each other in the first 80 goal Final since 2018, when Ellerstina beat La Dolfina 12-11 in The Hurlingham Open Final. The first ever 80 goal match was played on Saturday 1 November in 1975 at Palermo in ‘The Match of the Century’ and was played as an exhibition match which included all of the 10 goalers at the time and also commemorated the 100th anniversary of what is considered to be the first ever polo match played on Argentine soil in 1875. The first competitive 80 goal match was played in 2009 as a league match in The Hurlingham Open, followed by an 80 goal Argentine Open in the same year and then both The Tortugas and Hurlingham Open Finals in 2018. From 2009 to 2018, all of the 80 goal matches were played between Ellerstina and La Dolfina Saudi, so Saturday’s match between La Dolfina Saudi and La Natividad is significant. This is also the first year La Natividad has played as a 40 goal line-up, which includes two members of the 2018 Ellerstina team that won The Hurlingham Open (Facundo Pieres and Pablo MacDonough). Going into Saturday’s Final both teams were undefeated in the single elimination Hurlingham Open, so there was all to play for between the Cañuelas-based line-ups which featured a combination of families and neighbours in a clash of the best of the best. In the Final, La Natividad started out strong and won most of the throw-ins with a well-oiled team game and by the end of the third chukka held a 7-2 lead. However, things changed in the fourth chukka as La Dolfina Saudi woke up and Poroto Cambiaso worked hard to generate plays while Pelón Stirling neutralised La Natividad and by half-time they were just two goals behind. Things changed dramatically in the sixth chukka, which saw Adolfo Cambiaso injured (possibly with a torn hamstring) and replaced by 7 goaler Gonzalo Ferrari who went on to have an excellent match. A goal from Ferrari closed the gap to 8-9 and then two more goals by Poroto Cambiaso and one by Juan Martín Nero secured La Dolfina Saudi’s first lead, 11-9. Both sides battled doggedly to try to get ahead but with just one chukka left the scores were tied at 12-12. The final chukka was scoreless, holding spectators on the edge of their seats, but with 30 seconds of regulation play left a long, powerful shot from Facundo Pieres gave La Natividad a 13-12 win and their second Hurlingham Open title. A full report will be included in the next issue of Polo Times, click here to purchase a subscription today. The 131st Hurlingham Open Final Teams: La Natividad (40): Facundo Pieres (10), Camilo ‘Jeta’ Castagnola (10), Pablo Mac Donough (10) (3) & Barto Castagnola (10) La Dolfina Saudi (40): Adolfo Cambiaso (10) (substituted by Gonzalo Ferrari (7) in the sixth chukka), David ‘Pelón’ Stirling (10), Poroto Cambiaso (10) & Juan Martin Nero (10) Photograph: La Natividad, winners of the 2024 Hurlingham Open Final. By Matías Callejo / Prensa AAP  |