Zacara defeat Lechuza to ride into the quarter-final of US Open Polo Championship
Carlitos Gracida set the pace three times, as Zacara took a narrow win over Lechuza in the third round match of the United States Open Polo Championship being held at the International Polo Club in Wellington. It was a nail-biting game, as both the winning and losing team have qualified for the quarter-final round of the 26-goal handicap tournament.
The game was opened with a penalty conversion in the hands of Facundo Pieres, who converted a long 60-yard penalty shot to put Zacara ahead on the scoreboard. Later, Sebastian Merlos added a score from the field effort and expanded the lead up to two goals, 2-0. Lechuza was unable to score throughout the first half of play.
In the second set of play, Carlitos Gracida and Mariano Uranga notched one goal each and expanded the lead up to four goals, 4-0. Lechuza remained goalless in the second consecutive period.
Gracida in the third set of play marked another goal and stretched the lead up to five scores. After the first half action, Zacara was hanging on to a 5-0 advantage.
The players of Lechuza cranked up their offence in the second half and scored a pair of goals while holding Zacara scoreless in the seven and half minute period. Gaston Lisioli, the substitute player of Martin Espain and his team-mate Juan Martin Nero marked one goal apiece, as one came on a penalty shot while other from the field.
The second last set of play was also dominated by Lechuza which obtained another two goals while limiting Zacara only for a single point. Sapo Caset nailed a couple of goals and cut the Zacara lead down to a single point. Another Zacara goal went up on the scoreboard from Gracida to close out the chukka with Lechuza trailing by a two-goal, 6-4 advantage.
Pieres further stretched the lead up to three points at the start of the final set of play. The Lechuza attackers were not sitting out of action, as Caset notched another goal to creep the score close and closer. With seconds left on the clock, Lisioli managed to take the ball away and risked an artistic shot which moved perfectly into the goal-posts. Zacara rode off the field with a 7-6 win, as the final horn sounded.
The win lifted Zacara to a 2-1 lead in the tournament and set a place in the quarter-final match of the tournament. Lechuza on the base of their previous two victories has also earned a place in the next round of the competition.
Gracida was the leading scorer of Zacara with three goals while Pieres scored two goals. Mariano Uranga and Sebastian Merlos added one goal each in the win.
Caset set the pace three times while Lisioli and Juan Martin Nero notched two and one goal respectively in the loss.
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