Valiente thrashes Pony Express by 14-7 in US Open Polo Championship
Nacho Astrada and Polito Pieres scored eleven goals and each had an assist to carry Valiente to a commanding 14-7 victory over Pony Express in the round match of the United States Open Polo Championship. The match was played at the field of International
Polo Club in Floridia.
It was a mature and deliberate start from the both sides, but could not make a huge margin in the first seven and half minutes of play. Bautista Heguy opened the score of the day through a penalty-conversion and put Pony Express ahead on the score-board.
However the strikers of Valiente were not sitting motionless and letting the game go by. Polito Pieres added the first goal to tie the score at one-all at the end of the first set of play.
The strikers of Valiente revved it up in the second and received three goals, while holding Pony Express only for a single point. Piers scored the opening goal of the period which was countered by a score from Heguy. The period was filled with lot of attacks
and Valiente continued to press the foursome of Pony Express in the game. Nacho Astrada connected on a couple of penalty-shots and expanded the lead up to two points at the end of the second round. The two teams went into the third set of play with Pony Express
trailing by two goals, 4-2.
The speed of the Valiente attacks accelerated in the third period and obtained another four points, while minimising Pony Express only for two scores. Nacho Astrada scored another three goals of which two were taken on penalty-shots, while other from the
field. Piers connected on another spot shot to stretch the lead up to six points. Heguy and Santiago Chavanne scored one goal each to remain in the game. The first half concluded with Valiente holding a convincing four-point, 8-4 advantage.
The strikes of the game though continued in the second half but the pace was low as compared to first half. Nacho Astrada and his team-mate, Pieres, accounted for one goal apiece to increase the tally to an overwhelming six points. Heguy managed the only
score of the chukka to remain in the game. Valiente was sitting on top with five goals advantage, 10-5 at the end of the fourth action.
The duo teams exchanged one goal each in the second last frame to retain the Valiente’s convincing lead. Piers scored for Valiente while Heguy managed it for Pony Express, which was trailing by five goals, 11-6, with one chukka left to contest.
Miguel Astrada, the brother of Nacho Astrada, came alive in the final set of play and ran up three goals in the seven minutes. His drives and penalty-shots were excellent on the field to put Valiente ahead with an eight goal advantage. Heguy, the all time
striker of Pony Express, scored another goal for Pony Express, but still far flung away from the lead. Valiente won the classic game by seven points and established leading position in the game.
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