Las Monjitas earns opening triumph by 12-11 in US Open Polo Championship
Agustin Merlos scored the game-winner to carry Las Monjitas to a 12-11 win over Valiente in the opening match of the United States Open Polo Championship being held at the field of International Polo Club in Wellington.
The two sides had some powerful strokes in the opening game, rolled up some points from Nacho and Miguel Astrada for Valiente, while Merlos and Santiago Toccalino for Las Monjitas in the second and third chukkas and held back the momentum until the final
whistle.
Miguel Astrada and his brother, Nacho Astrada of Valiente, marked opening goals of the day and established their first lead in the game. But the lead could not last for long, as the strikers of Las Monjitas were not sitting idle. Merlos in a counter-offence
marked three goals in the period and took the game to their side. The chukka ended with Las Monjitas sitting ahead by one goal, 3-2.
The attackers of Valiente cranked up their offence in the second and received three goals, while limiting Las Monjitas only for a single point. Nacho and Miguel Astrada scored two and one point, respectively and put Valiente ahead on the score-board. But
Las Monjitas managed a goal through a penalty-conversion in the hands of Merlos and trailed by a single point, 5-4.
The game entered into a more significant phase, where both the teams delivered an impressive performance and had it all even. The Astrada brothers added one goal apiece for Valiente, while Las Monjitas roared back and tied the knots. Merlos connected on
a couple of penalty-shots, while Toccalino managed a solitary effort from the field. The two teams took a seven-all deadlock with them to the sidelines at the end of the first three chukkas of action.
In a stunning move, the attackers of Valiente delivered an outstanding game in the fourth and regained one-goal lead. Toccalino notched a field goal at the start of the period but Polito Pieres and his team-mate, Nacho Astrada, accounted for a solitary goal
each. Valiente was hanging on to a one goal, 9-8 advantage at the end of the round.
The pace of the game further speeded up in the second last frame and both teams took another tie at eleven-all. Nacho Astrada and Pieres nailed a pair of goals and it was the only offence from Valiente. In the later time, Merlos and Eduardo Astrada (brother
of Miguel and Nacho Astrada) punched two and one goal respectively and levelled the score at 11-11.
The last set of play was quite a low scoring period of the match, where only one goal was scored in the seven minutes. The duo sides displayed impressive defence throughout the game and denied several efforts from either side. However, the foursome of Valiente
committed a foul and gave Las Monjitas a chance to mark a go-ahead goal. It was not anyone else, but Merlos, who converted a penalty-shot and sealed the Las Monjitas' victory in the opening match of the event.
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