The 2022 USPA GOLD CUP finished at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) in Wellington, Florida. In the 2022 edition, 13 teams were competing for the second leg of the GAUNTLET OF POLO®.. On demand viewing is available with a subscription at globalpolo.com.
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Final. Sunday, March 27th. An eager crowd assembled at U.S. Polo Assn. Field 1 at International Polo Club (IPC) to see the highly anticipated conclusion of the USPA Gold Cup® between 2019 GAUNTLET OF POLO® champions Pilot and reigning 2022 C.V. Whitney Cup® champions Park Place. Ranking first and second in scoring in the GAUNTLET, the two teams brought firepower from the field to combine for twenty-one goals. Largely deadlocked for the majority of the second half, a back-and-forth from both teams required overtime to settle the score, as Pilot’s Facundo Pieres led his team to back to the podium scoring the golden goal for his tenth goal and the thrilling 11-10 victory to raise the prestigious USPA Gold Cup. Pilot 11, Park Place 10 in OT
Golden Goal by Facundo Pieres at 6:48
MVP: Facundo Pieres
BPP: Open Azarenka
Argentine Bred BPP: Open Azarenka
OVERTIME DEFINITION BY GLOBAL POLO
Gallery, by Agus Fonda / Global Polo
Semifinals. The semifinals concluded in a riveting doubleheader of premier polo on the Isla Carroll fields at International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). The first matchup of the day saw Pilot take an early lead against Tamera, as Mackenzie Weisz led his team with six goals from the field to push Pilot into the final with the 13-8 victory. Taking to Isla Carroll East for last semifinal, Scone and Park Place engaged in a thrilling high-scoring affair in their first rematch since the final of C.V. Whitney Cup®. Equalling each other stride-for-stride, an injury to Scone’s Adolfo Cambiaso (Unable to continue, 9-goaler Bartolome Castagnola stepped in for Scone) put Scone on their heels, as Park Place’s sharp shooting duo of Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos combined for thirteen goals, emerging 16-14 victors to keep their bid for the GAUNTLET alive.
QF #4. Resuming play in the last quarterfinal matchup, 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso took the lead for Scone on U.S. Polo Assn. Field 1, scoring three goals in the remaining three chukkers of play to stave off a Coca-Cola comeback 12-10, and lift the reigning USPA Gold Cup champions back into the semifinals. QF #2 & 3. Wrapping up the quarterfinals, Sunday’s tripleheader began with Tamera defeating Old Hickory Bourbon 14-8. Resuming play for the second game of the day at La Indiana, a dominant Pilot led by captain Facundo Pieres topped Dutta Corp/Show+ 13-7, while the Feature Game of the Week on U.S. Polo Assn. Field 1 saw reigning Gold Cup Champions® Scone take the field against Coca-Cola. Led by father-son duo of Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, Scone built an early lead, but as heavy rain began fall, the match was rained out at halftime with Scone ahead 7-3, leaving the remainder to be played on Monday. QF #1. The quarterfinals began with Park Place securing the first place in the semifinals after the 16-10 victory against La Elina on the Isla Carroll West field.
Entering the game with the Gauntlet’s best offense, Park Place’s attack was on full display in one of their most efficient performances of the year. Shooting 63% with 15 of their 16 goals coming from the field, Park Place received six goals each from their elite duo of Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, while collectively they produced two runs of six unanswered goals to run away in the game. La Elina attempted to match Park Place in the fast-paced game, but 26% shooting prevented them from challenging late in the second half and resulted in Park Place claiming the 16-10 triumph. The final day of play-off action in the 2022 USPA Gold Cup began with Tamera overcoming rainy conditions to defeat La Fe 13-10, while the last play-off resulted in La Elina capturing the 14-9 victory for their first win of the season at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC).
A dominant first half for Tamera set the tone for the first match played under tough conditions, as accurate shooting propelled Tamera to a significant lead. Shooting 70% in the opening three chukkers, Tamera was led by five goals from Segundo Saravi, while La Fe countered with four goals from Robi Bilbao. Penalty shooting struggles for La Fe ultimately proved crucial to the outcome, as they converted just four of their nine attempts, unable to capitalize on four penalties from the 40-yard line and closer. Producing a stretch of nine unanswered goals, Tamera excelled in open play with a combined team effort that featured five assists on nine field goals to claim a spot in the quarterfinals with the 13-10 win. Ninth Day: Needing overtime to decide their first encounter in the USPA Gold Cup, Old Hickory Bourbon/Airstream and SD Farms met on U.S. Polo Assn. Field 1 in the first play-off game to battle for a spot in the quarterfinals. Another close match resulted in Old Hickory Bourbon/Airstream claiming their first victory and advancing in the tournament with the 11-10 victory. Eighth Day: Concluding bracket play in the USPA Gold Cup, Friday’s doubleheader began on Field 4, as Park Place’s efficient shooting and strong team play proved crucial as they managed to stave off a late resurgence from Tamera to hold on for the 13-10 win. Reconvening on Isla Carroll West for the second half of the doubleheader, La Indiana and La Elina’s high powered back-and-forth play took the match down to the final chukker, with La Indiana’s Lucas “Luckitas” Criado Jr. scoring twice in the final minutes of regulation to seize the 12-10 victory. Seventh Day: In the lone matchup on Thursday, all eyes were on SD Farms and Dutta Corp/Show+ as they battled for the top spot in Bracket III on the Isla Carrol East field. Each entering the game with a 1-0 record, the two balanced teams required overtime where Timmy Dutta found the posts to score the golden goal for the thrilling 13-12 victory. Sixth Day. Resuming bracket play in the USPA Gold Cup® at International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC), Cessna and Pilot began the Wednesday doubleheader on La Indiana with 10-goaler Facundo Pieres accounting for a staggering thirteen goals in Pilot’s commanding 15-7 win. Shifting the action to Field 3, Poroto Cambiaso led his team with a phenomenal twelve goal performance to deliver Scone the 17-7 victory to remain undefeated in the tournament. Fifth Day: After bowing out of the semifinals in the C.V. Whitney Cup® against Scone, Dutta Corp Show+ began their bid for the USPA Gold Cup® on Field 4 with back-to-back goals off a Penalty 1 drawn by Laprida, followed by Timmy Dutta from the field for a quick 2-0 lead. Working as a cohesive unit, Dutta Corp/Show+ displayed a complete first half takeover, asserting their early dominance with four goals in the second chukker, including three from Dutta Corp/Show+’s leading scorer Garcia del Rio. Struggling to capitalize on their offensive chances in open play, the first goal on the day for Old Hickory Bourbon/Airstream came on a Penalty 2 conversion from Matias Magrini, as the embattled team took a five-goal deficit into the third chukker. Continuing to apply pressure and capitalize on Old Hickory Bourbon’s missed opportunities, 80% penalty shooter Garcia del Rio hit his second conversion on a Penalty 3, while Laprida followed up from the field. Finally gaining some momentum off a Joaquin Panelo penalty conversion, Old Hickory Bourbon strung together a successful run of back-to-back goals from Stevie Orthwein. One final play before time expired in the third saw Joaquin Avendano tap in his first on the day, as Dutta Corp/Show+ took a commanding 9-4 lead at halftime.
Fourth Day: Scone faced La Fe on Isla Carroll West, as a nine-goal performance from Poroto Cambiaso got Scone back on track following their C.V. Whitney Cup® finals loss to capture the 13-7 win. Moving to La Indiana for the second matchup of the doubleheader, Pilot’s Mackenzie Weisz stepped-up in a phenomenal offensive showing to score six goals against his former team to defeat Coca-Cola 12-7.
Third Day: In a phenomenal offensive explosion in the third day of bracket play in the USPA Gold Cup® at International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC), reigning C.V. Whitney Cup® champions Park Place scored seventeen goals on Field 5 to capture the 17-10 victory and spoil the 2022 debut of La Elina.
Featuring a head-to-head matchup between 10-goalers Guillermo “Sapo” Caset, making his debut for La Elina, and Park Place’s leading scorer Hilario Ulloa, Friday’s lone game resulted in a high-scoring match, but it was Ulloa who led the way with nine goals. Headlining a Park Place attack that shot an efficient 57% from the field will also producing nine more shots at goal than La Elina, Ulloa was nearly unstoppable as he continued his strong play from the C.V. Whitney Cup®. La Elina kept pace in the offensive minded first half but were held to just three goals in the second half as seven goals from Caset were not enough to match the electric offense of Park Place in the 17-10 defeat.
Second Day: Doubleheader action saw the debuts of CK Shack and Old Hickory Bourbon/Airstream in the GAUNTLET OF POLO®. Kicking-off the day at Isla Carroll East, La Fe and CK Shack engaged in a high scoring affair, as the duo of Lucas Diaz Alberdi and Francisco Elizalde combined for fourteen goals to deliver La Fe the 17-10 victory. Battling the elements underneath dreary skies, Old Hickory Bourbon/Airstream and SD Farms met on Field 3 in a riveting match up where SD Farms’ Lucas Escobar won the contested match on a Penalty 2 goal in overtime for the 11-10 win.
First Day: USPA Gold Cup® kicked off on Tuesday at Everglades with Cessna and Coca-Cola needing overtime to determine a winner. Just moments into overtime, Cessna’s Gringo Colombres scored the golden goal for the 13-12 win, their first of the season. A game featuring multiple swings in momentum, Cessna began with an accurate attack to build a lead and needed two key conversions late in the game to force overtime. Led by seven goals from Colombres, Cessna shot 50% from the field while finishing a perfect 5 for 5 from the penalty line. Coca-Cola had 9-goaler Nico Pieres in the line-up for the first time this year and he produced an exceptional debut, finishing with 10 goals but inaccurate shooting late in the game allowed Cessna to force overtime and claim the eventual 13-12 victory. DATES
GAUNTLET OF POLO 2022
CV WHITNEY CUP: February 7-27
USPA GOLD CUP: March 1-27
US OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP: March 29 – April 24
TEAMS
CESSNA: Edward Campbell 2, Miguel Novillo Astrada 9, Gringo Colombres 7, Will Johnston 2. COCA-COLA: Gillian Johnston 1, Julián de Lusarreta 7, Nico Escobar 5, Nico Pieres 9. DUTTA CORP: Iñaki Laprida 7, Joaquín Avendaño 3, Timmy Dutta 4, Tomás García del Río 8.
LA ELINA: Bobby Gerry 0, Geronimo Obregon 5, Sapo Caset 10, Jared Zenni 6.
LA FE: Francisco Elizalde 9, Louis Devaleix 0, Lucas Diaz Alberdi 6, Robi Bilbao 5.
LA INDIANA: Jeff Hall 6, Lucas Criado (h) 5 / Lucas Criado 6, Mariano Aguerre 7, Stewart Armstrong 3.
PARK PLACE: Andrey Borodin 0, Cody Ellis 3, Hilario Ulloa 10, Juan Britos 9.
PILOT: Curtis Pilot 0, Facundo Pieres 10, Mackenzie Weisz 5, Matias Torres Zavaleta 7.
SD FARMS: David Stirling 10, Lucas Escobar 4, Peco Polledo 6, Sayyu Dantata 2.
SCONE: Adolfo Cambiaso 10, David Paradice 0, Keko Magrini 3, Poroto Cambiaso 9.
TAMERA: Alejandro Poma 1, Jejo Taranco 8, Diego Cavanagh 9, Segundo Saravi 4. CK SHACK POLO: Henry Porter 4, Martín Valent 4, Santiago Toccalino 8, Kris Kampsen 6. OLD HICKORI BOURBON: Matías Magrini 7, Santino Magrini 5, Stephen Orthwein 4, Joaquin Panelo 4.
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
March 01, 1pm - Coca Cola 12 vs. Cessna 13
March 02, 1pm - La Fe 17 vs. CK Shack 10
March 02, 5pm - Old Hickory 10 vs. SD Farm 11
March 04, 1pm - La Elina 10 vs. Park Place 17
March 05, 1pm - Coca Cola 7 vs. Pilot 12
March 05, 5pm - La Fe 7 vs. Scone 13
March 06, 1pm - Old Hickory 8 vs. Dutta Corp 15
March 06, 5pm - Tamera 12 vs. La Indiana 13
March 09, 1pm - Cessna 7 vs. Pilot 15
March 09, TBA - CK Shack 7 vs. Scone 15
March 10, 5pm - SD Farm 12 vs. Dutta Corp 13
March 11, 1pm - Park Place 13 vs. Tamera 10
March 11, 5pm - La Indiana 12 vs. La Elina 10
March 13, SD Farm 10 vs. Old Hickory 11
March 14, 12pm - La Indiana 10 vs. Coca Cola 11
March 14, 4pm - Dutta Corp 10 vs. CK Shack 7
March 15, 12pm - La Fe 10 vs. Tamera 13
March 15, 4pm - La Elina 14 vs. Cessna 9
March 19, 11am - QF - La Elina 10 vs. Park Place 16
March 20, 11am - QF - Old Hickory 8 vs. Tamera 14
March 20, 1pm - QF - Pilot 13 vs. Dutta Copr 7
March 20, 4pm - QF - Coca Cola 10 vs. Scone 12
March 23 - SF - Pilot 13 vs. Tamera 8
March 23 - SF - Scone 14 - Park Place 16
March 27, 4pm - FINAL - PILOT 11 vs. PARK PLACE 10
Gallery -Thursday, March 24th - By Alex Pacheco - Semifinals
Gallery - Monday, March 21st - By Alex Pacheco
Sunday goals! By Global Polo TV
Gallery - Sunday, March 20th - By Alex Pacheco
Gallery - Saturday, March 19th - By Alex Pacheco
Gallery - Wednesday, March 16th - By Alex Pacheco
Gallery - Sunday, March 13rd - By Agus Fonda / Global Polo
Gallery - Friday, March 10th and 11st - By Alex Pacheco
Gallery - Tuesday, March 9th - By Alex Pacheco
Gallery - Tuesday, March 5th and 6th - By Alex Pacheco
Gallery - Tuesday, March 2nd and 4th - By Alex Pacheco
Gallery - Tuesday, March 1st - By Alex Pacheco
