Valiente takes down Piaget by 14-9 to face Orchard Hill in Butler Handicap finals
Valiente succeeded to take Piaget down in the semi-finals of the Butler Handicap, the subsidiary event of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup, which is being contested at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida.
The strikers of Valiente rendered a splendid game and with to and fro attacks marked fourteen goals against the nine of its competitor. Piaget, the lowest handicap team of the tournament, showed impressive game in the first half , but they could not keep back their momentum and lost the game with five points.
Piaget received a couple of goals, but failed to get a score from the field. However the strikers of Valiente scored three goals in seven and half minute action. Miguel Astrada and Polito Pieres scored two and one goal respectively, and established the first lead for Valiente in the game.
The strikers of Valiente scored another three goals, while holding Piaget only for a single score. The trio of Valiente, Pieres, Nacho Astrada and his brother Miguel Astrada, added one goal apiece and expanded the lead to four points. Nachi Heguy connected on a spot-shot. The chukka ended with Valiente holding a commanding three point lead, 6-3.
Nachi converted another penalty-shot while his team-mate, Lolo Castagnola, scored a goal from the field and reduced the lead down to a single point. But another Valiente goal went up on the score-board from Pieres to finish the first half with Valiente holding a two-point, 7-5 advantage.
The strikers of Valiente further accelerated their offence, received another four goals in the fourth round, and expanded the lead to an insurmountable figure. Nacho Astrada contributed a couple of goals, while his team-mates, Miguel Astrada and Bob Jornayvaz, added one goal apiece in the period. The chukka ended with Valiente going ahead with a six-point edge, 11-5.
The fifth set of play belonged to Valiente which got three more scores, while limiting Piaget only for a single goal. Miguel Astrada punched a couple of goals, while his brother, Nacho Astrada, connected on a penalty-shot and stretched the lead to nine goals, 14-5. Heguy accounted for one score and cut the lead down to an eight-goal advantage.
In a stunning move, the Piaget strike came alive in the final set of play, but they could only score four goals. Heguy notched a pair of goals, getting one from the field, while converting another penalty-shot. Juan Bollini added one goal for Piaget, but it could not save them from a humiliating defeat. Valiente remained score-less in the period.
Valiente with the final horn of the time-completion won the game by five goals and set a place in the finals of Butler Handicap.
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