Thu 20th Mar 2025USPA Gold Cup Finalists Park Place vs Coca-Cola on Sunday 23 March
Coca-Cola and Park Place have qualified for The USPA Gold Cup Final following their wins yesterday at the National Polo Center against Brookshire and La Dolfina/Catamount respectively. Both matches were incredibly close and hard fought, highlighting all of the competitiveness of this year’s Gauntlet of Polo teams.
The first Semi Final pitted Coca-Cola against Brookshire with both teams undefeated going into the crucial match. The scores were tied at 7-7 in the fourth chukka, but Coca-Cola narrowly outscored Brookshire 3 goals to 2 in the fifth chukka putting them into the sixth chukka with a one goal lead, 10-9. Both teams scored in the final, hot chukka, but Coca-Cola narrowly took the win 11-10. This will be Coa-Cola’s second consecutive Gauntlet of Polo Final after losing out in The C.V. Whitney Cup Final to La Dolfina/Tamera.
The second Semi Final of the day was between Park Place and La Dolfina/Catamount, which saw the latter outscore their opponents 4-1 in the first chukka. Park Place rallied in the second chukka and the rest of the match was a game of cat and mouse between the two sides as the lead swung between them. With the score tied at 10-10 going into the final chukka, over time loomed as both sides scored to tie 11-11. As the chukka reached the closing minute, a foul from Jesse Bray on Louis Hine resulted in a penalty 1 goal for Park Place and all the blue shirts had to do was run the clock down to take the 12-11 win and with it the second spot in the Final.
These results mean that Coca-Cola will take on Park Place on Sunday 23 March at the National Polo Center in Wellington at 4pm (Palm Beach time)/ 7pm (UK time). For those not stateside, you can watch the Final and Subsidiary Final (2pm UK time) via the USPA’s Polo Network on YouTube here which has brilliant commentary and live action from the matches.
The USPA Gold Cup Final Teams:
Coca-Cola (22): Gillian Johnston (0), Julián de Lusarreta (7), Lorenzo Chavanne (6) & Polito Pieres (9)
Park Place (22): Andrey Borodin (0), Hilario Ulloa (10), Peke Gonzalez (7) & Louis Hine (5)
Photograph: Park Place and Coca-Cola will battle it out in The USPA Gold Cup Final on Sunday 23 March at 7pm GMT. By David Lominska
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