Valiente cruise to 11-9 triumph over Bendabout
Miguel Astrada led the victory by scoring five goals, as Valiente powered an 11-9 win over Bendabout in the round match of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup. The hardly-fought game was played at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida.
Bendabout seemed to give a tough time after the fourth chukka tie-up, but Valiente pumped in eleven goals to stun Valiente in the crucial game.
First Half
The strikers of Valiente displayed impressive game on the field and established an early lead in the first chukka. Nacho Astrada scored a couple of goals, while Bob Jornayvaz added another and put Valiente ahead on the score-board. From the other side, Sugar
Erskine and Gillian Johnston, notched a pair of goals to bring their team into the score-net. The frame concluded with Valiente holding a single point edge, 3-2.
The second round game completely belonged to Valiente which received three goals, while limiting Bendabout only for a single point. Julio Arellano by connecting on a spot-shot had it all even at three-all, but the tie-up could not last for long. Miguel Astrada
showed an outstanding game on the field and scored three times in the period to close the period with Valiente hanging on to a commanding three point, 6-3 advantage.
The strikers of Bendabout cranked up their offence in the third, but could only score two goals in the period. Arellano and Magoo Laprida scored back-to-back goals and cut the lead down to a single score. But another Valiente goal went up on the score-board
from Miguel Astrada to close the first half game, with Valiente sitting on top with a two-goal, 7-5 lead.
Second Half
The opening round of the second half completely belonged to Bendabout, as it received two goals and had it all even at seven-all. Valiente remained scoreless in the period. All the Bendabout action was done in the hands of Arellano, who scored two goals
and levelled the results. Both teams went into the next round with a 7-7 dead-lock.
The second last chukka opened with a go-ahead goal from Miguel Astrada followed by a penalty-conversion in the hands of Jornayvaz. The foursome of Bendabout put all its efforts in the period to keep its momentum up, but to no avail. It could not mark a score
in the period and trailed by two goals, 9-7 with one chukka left to play.
Bendabout revved it up in the in the final seven minutes, but could only nail two goals against the couple of points from Valiente. Polito Pieres notched the two scores for Valiente and expanded the lead to an insurmountable four goals, 11-7. Arellano and
his team-mate, Erskine, scored one goal each in the period, but to no avail. Valiente won the game by two points and moved forward into the later stage of USPA Piaget Gold Cup.
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