Big surprise: Alegría defeated La Dolfina and agreed to the final

Photos: Matías Callejo

On Saturday, October 21, on court 1 of the organizing club, Alegria Land Rover gave the note, surpassed La Dolfina Sancor Seguros by 10-9 in extra chukker with Guillermo Caset's (h) gold goal and, after winning Zone B , was selected finalist of the 124th version of the Open Championship of the Hurlingham Club, organized by one of the most important entities of our polo, which is in play The Ayrshire Cup for the winner and the John Ravenscroft Cup for the finalist.

 

In this way, the magenta set will face on Saturday 10/28 the defending champion of the contest, Ellerstina Johor, in the final of the second tournament that composes the Triple Crown of the AAP, honorary trophy that this season no team can access since the only postulant was La Dolfina, who had stayed with the Tortugas Country Club Open.

 

It was a very intense match, between two great formations that left the life in each ball to obtain the passage to the end. Alegria, with great defense in the first chukkers, managed to surprise La Dolfina, giving him a 4-1 almost at the end of the second period, unexpected for the good attendance that approached Hurlingham. Facundo Sola and Fred Mannix were able to close their own wickets and supply "Sapo" Caset, who was always close to the goal (he finished with 5). Between the end of the second and third, La Dolfina, who did not play with the usual solidity, settled down and got the tie in 4 thanks to the effectiveness of Nero in the execution of penalties and a great goal of Cambiaso. The fourth chukker was vital in the development of the match. It was a great part of Alegría, who achieved something almost impossible: to convert 4 goals in less than 7 minutes to the multi-champion La Dolfina. Great Mannix, accurate Caset and a great goal from Facundo Sola upside down were the keys to stay up by 3 goals.

From there, and with more desire than polo, La Dolfina was sent with everything to the attack and showed an unpublished face: inefficiency to convert, as several shots came near the wicker of Alegría, who continued showing firmness in the mark. Finishing the sixth and with the advantage of magenta by 2, Fred Mannix was about to stretch the marker but could not and Nero, on the counterattack and after the bell, left his team to the equalizer, the back, lacking 5 minutes to the end, with a short penalty.

Those last minutes were electrifying, back and forth and with chances for both, but the parity continued and the party had to go to the supplementary. In the extra chukker, Alegría's men forced a Pablo Mac Donough foul that Guillermo Caset converted from 40 yards to 32 seconds from the start, to unleash the happiness in the palenque of Alegria, for the historic triumph.

 

With the victory, Joy will play for the second time a Triple Crown final (the previous one was Palermo 2013, defeat before La Dolfina). It will be the first decisive match since Tortugas 2010 that will not play the set of Cañuelas (at that time they faced Ellerstina vs. Chapaleufú II, with triumph of "the Zeta" by 21-11). Also, it will be the first time since they play together, that this formation of La Dolfina does not define a tournament.

Bout of the Alegría men, who will play for the first time a definition of the Hurlingham Open!

 

 

The final zone positions:

 

 

P	EQUIPOS	J	G	P	Ps.	GF	GC	DG
ZONA A
1	ELLERSTINA JOHOR	4	4	-	8	63	32	31
2	LA AGUADA LAS MONJITAS	4	3	1	6	48	39	9
3	CRÍA YATAY COLONY	4	2	2	4	38	45	-7
4	LD LA DOLFINA POLO RANCH	4	1	3	2	41	50	-9
5	LA ESQUINA L. M. NAVARRO CORREAS	4	-	4	0	28	52	-24
ZONA B
1	ALEGRÍA LAND ROVER	4	4	-	8	51	30	21
2	LA DOLFINA SANCOR SEGUROS	4	3	1	6	48	25	23
3	LA IRENITA	4	2	2	4	34	57	-23
4	LA ALBERTINA ABU DHABI	4	1	3	2	33	38	-5
5	CHAPALEUFÚ CARDÓN	4	-	4	0	37	53	-16