2011 USPA Fall Plate Cup Player Ratings: Elangeni Ranch vs. Piaget
Elangeni Ranch took on Piaget by 10-7 in the title-claiming match of the 2011 USPA Fall Plate Cup that was played at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida. Piaget and Elangeni Ranch were aggressive contenders of this maiden title of the fall
season but the latter proved to be more powerful on the field.
In an attractive fixture which ended with a convincing victory for Elangeni Ranch, there were numerous remarkable performances from both sides.
We will try to analyse the performances of the two foursomes.
Elangeni Ranch
Luis Escobar: 8/10
Speed, Speed, Speed! This is what Escobar was about against Piaget in the title-claiming fight where he lit the lamp five times in the six chukkas. The American polo pro proved to be highly instrumental in securing the number-one position for his team. Apart
from missing a few opportunities, he was at his best and managed to effectively pin down the opposition.
Diego Cossio: 7/10
Cossio had trouble focusing in the initial chukkas that advantaged the other side. However, he quickly regained his vitality and accounted for four goals in the match. He also interconnected with his front runner displaying brilliant teamwork. Although he
missed some goals on few occasions, his speed and ball-handling was extremely impressive.
J. J. Celis: 6/10
Celis only scored once during the match. Nonetheless, he was superb at defense and successfully tackled many attacks from Piaget. He was typical, tidy when it came to ball possession, and not afraid to get stuck at the number-three position. Except for a
few instances, he did not lose his grip over the ball and assisted the attackers in goal-scoring.
Brian Street: 4/10
Street, the skipper of Elangeni Ranch, did nothing to stop the strikes from Piaget. Moreover, he was nowhere to be seen during a large portion of the defensive period. His performance was disappointing and greatly undermined his teammates’ efforts.
Piaget
Marc Ganzi: 7/10
Ganzi was happy about his performance but more so about the outstanding rides he pulled off throughout the game. After scoring eight goals in the previous fixtures, he was bent upon winning the finals. However, all his efforts were thwarted due to some shortcomings
in team coordination.
Nic Roldan: 3.5/10
A nil goal-scoring record pushed Roldan to be acknowledged as the worst player of the match. He had no worthwhile contribution in the teamwork to his acclaim.
Sergio Sylvestre: 6.5/10
Sylvestre was playing defense but he also demonstrated highly reliable protection in front of the bars. Apart from his outstanding defensive moves, he also surged forward at many occasions to support his front runners. He managed to score three goals. His
persistence and his ability to decipher the opponent’s strategies were noteworthy.
Leo Mandelbaum: 5/10
Mandelbaum scored a single goal in the tournament. However, it could not help the team win the match. He is currently at the fourth position. A few lapses on his part earned the opposite foursome some easy goals.
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