La California rallies to beat Casablanca for Jockey Club Open final berth

By Alex Webbe

La California (Diego Cavanagh, Guillermo Terrera, Ignatius Du Plessis and Tomas

Garcia Del Rio) rallied from a three goal deficit to score four consecutive goals to beat

the 36-goal Casablanca team (Facundo Sola, Pablo MacDonough, Milo Araujo and

Juan Martin Nero) 8-7 and earn a berth in the 2013 Jockey Club Open finals against

Chapaleufú (Alberto Heguy, Francisco Elizalde, Bautista Heguy and Eduardo Heguy)

Saturday afternoon at 3PM.

Rain caused the postponement of the original match and moved it to the Argentine Polo

Association’s Alfredo Lalor Field grounds at Pilar.

Despite an intimidating Casablanca lineup that included 10-goalers Pablo MacDonough

and Juan Martin Nero, a balanced opening chukker had each team scoring a couple

goals for a 2-2 tie.

La California defense shut down the Casablanca attack in the second while the offense

scored two more goals.  La California led 4-2 entering the third chukker.

Casablanca took control of the game in the third, scoring three unanswered goals.  La

California was unable to penetrate the Casablanca defense and trailed 5-4 at the end of

the first half of play.

La California’s defense stepped it up in the fourth period, holding Casablanca to a single

goal, but the team’s offense was shutout once again.  Casablanca extended their lead

to two goals, 6-4.

Casablanca scored the opening goal of the fifth chukker for a 7-4 lead.  Penalty goals

from Diego Cavanagh and Tomas Garcia Del Rio got La California back into the game,

but Casablanca continued to lead, 7-6.

La California displayed grit and determination in the final chukker.  A miserly defense

held Casablanca scoreless while Del Rio tied it up at 7-7 on a 60-yard penalty shot. 

With time running out, Du Plessis connected with Guillermo Terrera with a well-placed

pass, for the winning goal and a date with Chapaleufú in the 2013 Jockey Club Open

Cavanagh and Del Rio scored three goals apiece in the victory.  Terrera added two

goals, including the game winner.   Nero led the Casablanca attack with four goals

(three on penalty shots).  MacDonough, Araujo and Sola each scored once in a losing

(Photo courtesy of Matías Callejo)