By Andrés Ugarte Larraín
It was pretty difficult to think that such a particular moment could arrive for them too soon. Although great players face each other very often in polo, what it is expected to happen next Sunday will definetly be one of the most remarkable events of the last years. Because it will be the fourth clash between the father and son duo, Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso and the Castagnola brothers, Bartolomé and Camilo, in this year; but, on this occasion, the scenario will be no less than a high goal final in England.
A summary of 2020 marks a couple of wins for the Castagnolas in Engand and a win for the Cambiasos in the United States. Unfortunately, and due to issues of public domain, the event won’t be able to be plenty enjoyed, as games are held behind closed doors. But it will be historical, because there is a biological component that determines that these four players will be able to play on the same ground. The three cousins will definetly win several titles in the future, but Adolfo Cambiaso, with his remarkable presence, gives the clash an extra spice.
“I am very happy to be able to play with Poro in the last phase of my career which connects with the start of his, pass my own experiences on to him. And the possibility to share such a final with your son, is very nice, priceless, whether you win or lose”, Adolfo Cambiaso told to PoloLine.
Literally, he saw them from the start, despite the context is quite different to that of those years. But blood is blood, genetics are genetics and it is something very important to discuss. “I am very proud to play this final against the Castagnolas, they are my sister’s sons; and I think that Poroto will be able to play with them someday. And I am not surprised to see how good they and Poroto are, because they are very dedicated, they do their best – and that’s the most important thing, they love what they do, they are very enthusiastic, they work hard. And the level the Castagnolas have does not surprise me at all; on the contrary, some new blood is good for polo”, says Next Generation’s man.
For Adolfo Cambiaso, it could be the seventh opportunity to claim the British Open. The last time he lifted the golden trophy was in 2014, wearing the Dubai jersey, with 8-goaler Diego Cavanagh, a man who is highly appreciated within La Dolfina and who is currently filling in for Pelon Stirling. And the fact that Cambiaso win the Gold Cup for the first time in 1991, with Tramontana, makes his presence even more remarkable in this final.
To say it will be an unforgettable final for Adolfo Cambiaso could sound repetitive, but he aims far and beyond with regards how special the upcoming Gold Cup final will be for him. “How not to enjoy to play with my son? I am not sure whether I could be able to play a final like this in my life. What I would really love is to retire after playing the Argentine Open with him. It does not matter if we win, but to be able to compete with him at the highest level, to know that I am 45 and he is just a 14-years-old kid, is incredible”.
As we said before, this special final won’t be able to be enjoyed properly due to the current situation and the procedures that have been taken. “We will enjoy, obviously; but certainly it will be quite strange because of the pandemic”, states the man from Cañuelas, and concludes: “But we are happy; and we are always thankful to Valiente, to Bob Jornayvaz who provide us with horses. And of course, we are thankful to Jean-François Decaux, who gave us the incredible opportunity to play such a great tournament together; he believed both in me, at 45, and in my 14-years-old son. It was not that easy, but he did believe in us and we made it to the final”.
FINAL GOLD CUP FOR THE BRITISH OPEN: NEXT GENERATION vs LES LIONS/GREAT OAKS
NEXT GENERATION: Jean Francois Decaux, Poroto Cambiaso, Diego Cavanagh, Adolfo Cambiaso.
LES LIONS/GREAT OAKS: Camilo Castagnola, Dillon Bacon, Bartolomé Castagnola, Santiago Laborde.
KICK-OFF: Cowdray Park Polo Club, Sunday July 26, 3pm.