The last League A games of the 132nd. Argentine Polo Open Championship took place on Monday November 24, at Palermo. It’s worth to notice that today’s two games were due on Saturday November 22, but were delayed due to rains.
The first contest saw UAE, with a 2-0 record and already in the league decider, and Los Machitos, who secured their spot in the 2026 Triple Crown, aimed to earn their first win in the Open.
UAE was the dominant force thoroghout the first two chukkas. After claiming a 2-21 lead in the first, UAE overwhelmed Los Machitos in the second – they outscored them 5-1 with goals by Polito Pieres (2), Tomás Panelo (2) and Lukin Monteverde; that meant that the scoreboard read a comfortable 7-1 lead for UAE.
However, and from the third chukka onwards, Los Machitos bounced back slowly, while UAE, who managed to retain the lead until half time, seemed to slow down. In an impressive comeback, Los Machitos outscored UAE in the third and fourth chukka, led by an outstanding Torito Ruiz (already one of the best players of the current Triple Crown). From a 1-7 behind, they managed to close the gap to three goals by the end of the sixth chukka.
OK, UAE were already in the semifinal, but Los Machitos did want to win the contest. In the seventh chukka, Los Machitos tied at 11-all, with two unanswered goals by Alfredo Bigatti and one from Diego Cavanagh’s mallet. Nobody dared to think they could manage to get it in the second chukka! In the meantime, UAE seemed to be far from the whirlwind they were at the start of the match. But they wouldn’t give up – two 30-yards penalty conversions by Polito Pieres, in the last seconds of play in the seventh chukka, allowed UAE to re-take the lead, 13-11, with only one chukka left. But nothing was said and done yet.
Halfway in the last chukka, Diego Cavanagh ran to the goalposts to close the gap again to one goal (12-13). UAE replied quickly, through another field goal by Polito Pieres, to widen their advantage to 14-12, with three minutes to go in the last chukka. Although Los Machitos never surrendered, every attempt to score were unsucessful. At the end of the day, and with only 16 seconds in the clock, Juan Martín Nero produced the last goal of the match, to secure the 15-12 win for UAE. Therefore, they will clash against La Natividad La Dolfina in the league decider, the way they wanted – unbeaten; even if the win was tough due to Los Machitos great efforts to overcome the game.
La Natividad La Dolfina and Sol de Agosto closed the day. La Natividad La Dolfina, winners of the Tortugas Open and the Hurlingham Open, with the sights in their sole objective – claiming the Triple Crown. With regards to their contenders, Sol de Agosto had an (almost impossible) task ahead – to earn a win in order not to rely on the results from La Dolfina II and La Zeta Kazak to decide their future in the Triple Crown.
As expected, La Natividad La Dolfina didn’t waste time, and earned a quick 5-0 lead in the first chukka, with goals split between Poroto Cambiaso (2), Barto Castagnola (2) and Adolfo Cambiaso. Following the overwhelming first chukka, the Cañuelas-based lineup seemed to slow down a bit, while Sol de Agosto struggled to stay in the game, thanks mostly to Benjamin Panelo’s accuracy to convert penalty. However, that wouldn’t last much – La Dolfina imposed their play, their authority, that saw them by half time leading by an impressive 11-4.
It may sound repetitive, but it’s remarkable how very easy La Natividad La Dolfina make everything. It’s not just a lineup who play superb polo, but it’s also about four guys who have fun on the field, they fit to perfection and overwhelm every one of their contenders, whether it’s a team from the qualification or any other who is maybe up to the task. No matter what, La Natividad La Dolfina is always one or two steps ahead of everybody.
Sol de Agosto spent two chukkas unable to produce a goal – in the fifth, Benjamin Panelo converted a 30-yards penalty, but it was not enough. La Natividad La Dolfina were 13-5 ahead. And they remained the same until the end; everything was said and done by the end of the seventh chukka, when La Natividad La Dolfina were 18-5 ahead. Poroto Cambiaso and Jeta Castagnola added two more goals in the last chukka, to claim a terrific 20-6 victory. Now, the next step is UAE, for a spot in the most expected championship match of the year.
THE 132nd. ARGENTNE POLO OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP WILL RESUME NEXT WEEKEND, WITH THE FOLLOWING ORDER OF PLAY:
- SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29
2pm: UAE vs. Los Machitos vs. La Zeta Kazak
4,30pm: UAE vs. La Natividad La Dolfina
- SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30
2pm: La Ensenada vs. La Dolfina II
4,30pm: Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufu vs. La Irenita La Hache
THE FINAL OF THE 132nd. ARGENTINE POLO OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP IS DUE ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 6.
132nd. ARGENTINE POLO OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP – Teams & Fixture
Cover photo by Matías Callejo/Prensa AAP.