Piaget defeat Audi to ride into 2011 Bombardier Pacific Coast Open finals: 15-10 – Polo Update
Jason Crowder put in a tremendous effort for Piaget as he managed to score eight times in the crucial semi-finals of the 2011 Bombardier Pacific Coast Open against unconquered Audi 15-10 on September 1 and helped book a spot for the title-claiming clash
at the Santa Barbara Polo Club in California.
It was a big upset for the Audi team which had not lost any fixture in the tournament. They were dreaming of earning the title to their name but luck was not with them and they were outplayed prior to the final medal clash.
Piaget and Audi, the two legendary teams did not waste time to put their names on the scorecard as Piaget’s Miguel Astrada opened the action and scored a pair of goals while his team-mate Jason Crowder added one earned a three-goal advantage. Conversely,
they were not playing alone onto the field and players from Audi marked their entry with two goals at the hands of Gonzalito Pieres. The first period concluded with Piaget sitting on top with a single goal edge of 3-2.
In the second set of play, Crowder once again initiated the action and obtained three unanswered goals in the very early minutes. From the other side Pieres showed resistance and marked two goals through penalty conversions to show their presence in the
game. The second set of play was completed with Piaget holding a two-goal 6-4 lead.
The lead further extended in the third set of play when Juan Bollini and Astrada added one goal each to the score of Piaget. The effective defensive line of Piaget allowed only a single goal to Audi which was scored at the hands of Pieres and they trailed
8-5 at half-time.
The Audi team attempted to make a comeback into the game and managed three goals while holding Piaget to only two points. Astrada unfolded the period with a penalty conversion which was countered by three goals from Carlitos Gracida. He managed the scoring
through field efforts and penalty shots and reduced the lead down to a single goal. However, Astrada notched another goal and expanded the edge up to two at 10-8.
Piaget showed a clean sweep performance in the second to last chukka and obtained three while holding Audi goalless. Crowder and Bollini scored two and one goal respectively.
In the last seven minutes, Carlitos Gracida and Pieres volleyed one goal apiece and tried to reduce the difference. However, it was not to happen, as Crowder accounted for two more goals in the waning minutes and sealed the victory at 15-10. With a five-goal
victory, Piaget earned a berth in the final clash against Lucchese.
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