El Remanso vs King Power Foxes
The final day of the group stage in the 2017 Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup saw El Remanso defeat King Power Foxes 9-8 at Cowdray Park Polo Club.
Never trailing in the game, El Remanso was able to overcome losing the throw-in battle 17-8 by utilizing exceptional team defence to swarm the ball carrier and tightly mark their opponents, making attacks difficult for Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres. The teamwork displayed on the defensive end also translated to offense, as all four El Remanso players scored at least two goals for the game.
El Remanso was able to pressure King Power Foxes in the first chukka as they won three out of four throw-ins, resulting in three goals on five shots, with Charlie Hanbury, James Beim and Oliver Cudmore each scoring one goal. The passing attack of El Remanso was efficient early in a very open style of play with very whistles blown throughout the game, as El Remanso grabbed an early 3-1 lead.
Facundo Pieres’ broke out in the 2nd chukka, scoring all three King Power Foxes goals on perfect 3 for 3 shooting, as El Remanso had difficulty getting him off the ball. El Remanso was able to counter with two goals of their own to maintain a one goal lead. As the game progressed, El Remanso continued to tightly mark each player on the King Power Foxes attack, making it difficult to convert shots around goal. King Power Foxes missed seven of their last ten shots in the game, allowing El Remanso to keep a narrow lead throughout the second half.
After King Power Foxes got within one goal at the end of the 5th chukka thanks to Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha’s first goal of the game, El Remanso’s Harper and Cudmore both converted their lone shot attempts to extend El Remanso’s lead to 9-6 with minutes remaining. Facundo Pieres’ 5th goal of the game and a late penalty 2 conversion for Gonzalito Pieres wasn’t enough as El Remanso held on for the 9-8 victory, finishing with a 3-1 record in the group stage.
Habtoor vs La Bamba de Areco
The final game of the group stage in the 2017 Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup saw Habtoor defeat La Bamba de Areco 12-9 at Cowdray Park Polo Club.
In a fast paced, all out game, Habtoor’s Nico Pieres led the offensive attack, while the combination of Francisco Elizalde and Paco O’Dwyer were effective defensively. From the 2nd chukka onwards, Habtoor was able to limit the space of La Bamba de Areco, holding them to 2 for 9 shooting in the final five chukkas. A close game from the field was decided on the penalty line as La Bamba de Areco gave Habtoor four penalty shots from the 30 yard line, all of which were converted by Pieres.
La Bamba de Areco displayed an efficient attack in the first chukka, converting all four shot attempts, with Diego Cavanagh scoring three goals and Guillermo Terrera, replacing injured Christian Laprida, adding one goal. However, La Bamba de Areco missed their next four shots at goal in the following two chukkas as they allowed Habtoor to fight back into the game. Habtoor won the 2nd chukka 4-0, using a balanced attack that saw Pieres add two more goals, while Elizalde and O’Dwyer both added their first goals of the game.
Missed opportunities plagued both teams to begin the second half, with neither team able to pull away in the close back and forth game. After missing three shots in the 4th chukka, Habtoor found their stride the rest of the way, pulling Nico Pieres forward, with Elizalde protecting defensively. The result was a three goal 5th chukka for Pieres, bringing his goal total to seven, as Habtoor extended their lead to three with one chukka remaining.
Habtoor made their shots when they needed to down the stretch, making their final three shots, and taking advantage of the penalty attempts provided by their opponents, finishing 5 for 6 from the penalty line. La Bamba de Areco was unable to close the gap and Diego Cavanagh’s seven goal performance wasn’t enough as Habtoor held on for their first victory of the Gold Cup.
