UAE and La Irenita La Hache clashed in the second semifinal of the 132nd. Hurlingham Open, that took place at the Argentine Association of Polo Headquarters, in Pilar, on Wednesday October 1. While UAE had no trouble at all to defeat La Ensenada, in the quarter finals, La Irenita La Hache had to fight hard to beat the young and promising Sol de Agosto lineup, producing the winning goal within the last seconds in regulation time.

La Irenita La Hache’s Pablo MacDonough and Fran Elizalde opened the scores to earn a quick 2-0 in the first chukkaa. That first chukka ended with the MacDonough-Ulloa lineup leadng 2-1, after a goal by Polito Pieres, for UAE; by the first, the first of Polito’s goal, in an afternoon that saw him at his best. UAE and La Irenita La Hache played a very balanced first half, which remained tied at 4-all thoroghouth the third chukka, but Polito, and Lukin Monteverde came up to made it to 7-5 by half time. La Irenita La Hache’s goal came from Pablo MacDonough’s stick.

Maybe some expected a much more balanced second half, but UAE’s lethal weapon, Polito Pieres, had other things in mind. While La Irenita La Hache strugged to get into the score, this was almost an impossibe task – every attempt from La Irenita La Hache to come near the goalpost was stopped quickly by UAE. The story would change in the sixth chukka, when UAE took off… or better said, Polito Pieres. The indomitable Polito produced three unanswered goals, and the scoreboard read a 11-7 lead for UAE. The match was almost said and done in the seventh chukka, when UAE outscored La Irenita La Hache 2-0, to gain a 13-7 advantage. In the last chukka, La Irenita La Hache only managed to score two goals, courtesy of Fran Elizalde and Nachi du Plessis, but the damage has already been done. At the end of the day, UAE won 13-9, and claimed the second ticket to the final of the first tournament of the 2025 Triple Crown in Argentina, where they would play against La Natividad La Dolfina.

 

LA ENSENADA ARE THROUGH THE FINAL OF THE DRYSDALE CUP

Previously, La Ensenada and Sol de Agosto met to play the second semifinal of the Drysdale Cup. It’s worth to notice that the former are the title holders.

Sol de Agosto got off to a better start, mostly in a remarkable second chukka. But La Ensenada bounced back slowly, until Gonzalo Ferrari (who is subbing in for the injured Guillermo Caset) secured the first lead for La Ensenada; by half time the scores read a 9-all. The fifth chukka, a determined La Ensenada foursome outscored Sol de Agosto 5-0, and took an impressive 14-9 advantage. Although Sol de Agosto closed the gap to three goals in the sixth chukka, La Ensenada had seized the reins and by the start of the last chukka they were 18-14 up. Sol de Agosto made a last attempt, scoring three consecutive goals, but the efforts didn’t pay off. Jerónimo del Carril sealed the deal through a successful penalty conversion, to secure La Ensenada the 19-17 victory and the second spot in the final of the Drysdale Cup, to play against Los Machitos.

 

THE 132nd. HURLINGHAM OPEN WILL COME TO AN END ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 4:

11am: Copa Drysdale Cup, Los Machitos vs. La Ensenada (venue: Pilar)

4pm: Final 132nd. Hurlingham Open, La Natividad La Dolfina vs. UAE (Hurlingham Club, Lewis Lacey ground)

 

132nd. HURLINGHAM OPEN – Teams & Fixture

 

Cover photo by Matías Callejo/Prensa AAP.