Audi edge past Lechuza by 10-9 to clinch USPA Piaget Gold Cup
It was not anyone else, but Nico Pieres, the brother of fabled polo pros Facundo Pieres and Gonzalito Pieres, who stole the show and lit the lamp seven times in the crucial final of the United States Polo Association (USPA) Piaget Gold Cup.
The heated-contested mega final was played at the International Polo Club in Floridia, Wellington on Sunday, where Audi cruised past Lechuza by 10-9 and clinched the title.
The final game started on a very high note and both teams started to hurl goals from very start of the game. One minute into the play, Sapo Caset and his team-mate, Martin Espain, scored one goal each and put Lechuza ahead on the scoreboard. But Nico
and Gonzalito Pieres punched a couple of goals for Audi and had it all even at two-all.
Nero opened the second chukka with a field goal and put Lechuza ahead in the way to success. In the later time, Gonzalito and his brother, Nico Pieres, nailed one goal apiece and got lead in the game. But another Lechuza goal went up on the score-board
from Caset to end the second round with both teams holding a four-all deadlock with them to the sidelines.
The third set of play was opened in same aggressive way, where the two teams received five goals in the seven and half minutes time period. Espain added a goal from the field effort and took a narrow one-goal advantage. But it could not last long as
the combination of Nico and Gonzalito Pieres scored two and one goal respectively, and established their first lead, 7-5 at the end of the first half.
The suspense of the game further deepened in the second half, when both teams started more offensive game. Nero converted a penalty-shot and reduced the Audi's lead down to one score, 7-6 with two frames left to play.
In a stunning move, the results again tied in the second last frame and enhanced the fascination of the mega final. Caset connected on an outstanding spot-shot and levelled the game at seven-all. In the later minutes, Nero and Nico Pieres swapped one
goal and left the field for final battle with an 8-all dead-lock.
In the halfway to the final set of play, Caset added a score for Lechuza and put Audi under heavy-weight. The defensemen of Lechuza brushed aside many attacks from Audi in the period and increased the amazement of the game. After Nero played a wrong
shot, committed a foul and gave Audi a chance to level the game, which they did not miss. All-time favourite, Nico Pieres, scored off a 60-yard spot-shot and had it all even at nine-all and forced the two teams to go into the sudden death overtime.
The game in the extra-time started quite an aggressively and both sides carried out numerous strikes. With seconds into the overtime, Nico Pieres managed to take the ball away and while dribbling all the defensemen of Lechuza, played a risky shot,
which sailed perfectly into the goal-post. It was not a simple goal, but a sign of Audi’s victory and they clinched the title of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup.
Nico Pieres was chosen as the MVP of the tournament, while Septiva of Sapo Caset honoured as Best Playing Pony.
Tags: