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The American Handicaps
The play-offs displayed a bit of everything as far as results go. What drew one’s attention most was a match in which 27 goals were made: 17-12 between Crab Orchard and Black Watch (Gonzalo (Jr.) and Facundo Pieres who will not continue to play next year, and Ignacio Figueras), which began with a 2 goal advantage due to the handicap difference (27-25). Then came the quarter finals where the then champion bid farewell: Las Monjitas passed its scepter on to Crab Orchard when it lost 9-13. And also the impressive 15-10 with which Jedi beat La Lechuza. What looked like a real beating was Cambiaso’s 17-8 against Lucas Criado’s Orchard Hill, in their semi-final. In the other semi-final, Jedi beat White Birch (champion in 2005) convincingly and with no setbacks by 10-7. On a beautifully sunny Sunday which was only slightly too hot, the attendance record of 8,273 people–according to the organization (this journalist esteems that there were only just over 5,000 people or 6,000 at most)–were made welcome at the United States Open. The final posed the favorite, Crab Orchard–it hadn’t taken part in the competition since the year 2000–, and Jedi–same thing, but since 2002–. And the latter began with a valuable 1-0 because of its point less in team handicap rating. In no time they pushed their advantage to 5-1 with an even slaughtering by its three young Argentines. Three chukkas and a half had gone by and the pressure was beginning to fall in Adolfito and company’s direction. But before we go on, it is worth putting this match between local patron George Rawlings’ team and that of Austrian Eric Koch–even though it was his son Torsten who was playing–into context. The patron-professional-player relationship between the man of the gems and Hercules planes (the rental of these cargo planes is among his many businesses) and Cambiaso, which at the time gave rise to the Diamond Cup tournament at Cañuelas, did not conclude on a happy note. The player understands that the owner of the team did not pay for some of the ponies that he sold to him, and the resentment causes Dolfi’s desire to win to become enhanced when he comes up against Jedi and vice-versa. When the men of the blue and yellow shirts beat Crab Orchard in the play-offs of the Open, they apparently shouted gleefully “We beat them with our ponies…!” Consequently, it must have been a moment of great tension for Cambiaso to be losing by 4 goals when there were 4 and a half chukkas to go. Many believe that the more demanding the challenge, the hotter become the irons; the more impetuously do the crack players and sporting commanders take the initiative and carry the weight of the situation on their shoulders. Adolfo Cambiaso is one of these. And he showed it in the last two finals at Palermo. And also at the Yankee Open final: already by the first half of the game, the score board displayed a 6-6 score. And after the half-time shows (jugglers; parachutists), he continued along that line, with one goal per chukka and the cooperation of Magrini and Uruguayan David Pelón Stirling, the Nº 3 who upheld Crab Orchard against a Jedi which, with ups and downs persisted, under Nero’s leadership. The last chukka was really exciting. It made of the final a great game, perhaps one of the best finals in the history of the tournament, with a kind of bonus for all present: they were able to watch it also on a huge screen. At the start, the white shirts were winning 12-10; Nero reduced the difference; Magrini responded with a penalty shot; it was countered by a goal by Mac Donough; Stirling then made a goal (14-12); a new penalty shot by Pablito reduced the difference to one goal. And to the joy of those who–as spectators of such a spectacle–wanted a supplementary chukka, it was Magoo Laprida who, with an under-the-neck 20 yard shot, called a draw. There was a minute to go and the score was even. Again a start from scratch. And a few seconds later, the action described at the beginning. Throw-in; two men marking Magrini and Cambiaso all alone; passing shot from the former to the latter and the end. The run by Adolfito on his own, sealed the outcome, 15-14, because it only left 17 seconds before the end of the game. As though even that were calculated in what looked like a pre-fabricated script in some transcendental successes by Cambiaso. He and Cordoban Magrini ended the season with a formidable score of 12 victories to 2 defeats, plus a string of 10 games in a row in which they remained unbeaten. The euphoria of the creator of La Dolfina after the goal which was almost a golden goal was justified in so much sportive glory.
The Deficit
However, not everything was to be seen through rose colored glasses in the championship. Seemingly it was the last performance by Bautusta Heguy in the United States. They say that Chapa Uno’s mentor is not comfortable playing in a country where he is rated at 9 goals; that he doesn’t enjoy it and that he has decided not to return to Palm Beach, at least, not as a professional polo player. His performance in Pony Express was correct, but not as outstanding as one would expect from a sportsman of his standard. Another negative point, much more so than the possible retirement of Bauti from the Yankee arena, were the insistent, credible and irrefutable rumors as to pre-arranged outcomes. In other words, of fixing games beforehand. That such a team decided to lose because it suited them in order not to have to come up against such another further on; that this or that team agreed to end a game with a certain score in order to have a third team left out of the tournament; that they agreed to end on a difference of a certain amount of goals so as not to spend their horses and so that the losing patron would not be so disappointed and so that he/she could go on thinking of hiring the same professionals for the following year with whom to play; that it is the Argentines who are most prone to arranging the games among themselves–there was probably less empathy with colleagues from other countries. Deplorable if this is the case as it would evidently seem to be. At least a glimpse of hope: the suspension for one year for Guillermo and Julio Gracida and Kris Kampsen for having purposely lessened their score–they ended 7-19–in a semi final for the U.S.P.A. Gold Cup, to avoid having to play against an unsuitable opponent in their zone of the Open. Good for Fred Mannix, their patron, who without knowing of the plan realized what was happening and reported it, abandoning the team when the game had just started.
The Surplus
There were, on the other hand, very positive aspects, such as the notable performance of the Jedi boys. Magoo Laprida continues to advance in leaps and bounds, with no complaints for having to mark his opposite man and contributing with goals and courage in attack. Pablito Mac Donough can become leader of a team and execute the penalty shots, although those in whose hands the decision as to his rating lies, continue thinking that he still has a little way to go before he reaches 10 goals. An honour that Juanma Nero has just achieved in the United States; one of those players who do everything right: he is always in the right place on the field; he rarely fails when hitting the ball; he’s got more than his share of guts; he’s an excellent team mate and little by little he is building up the horse-power that he needs for his level of play. Belonging to another team, but also worth mentioning for his merits is Magrini, who was not ignored for his role as Cambiaso’s shadow, and was granted the ideal rating for his harsh defense and efficient execution (see apart). So among all the uses of the most important polo tournament in the world outside the Argentine Open, we arrive at this final, the 29th. which was defined by one goal’s difference and which, with 28 goals scored (15-13 in the open), was the most prolific of its history. The previous record was held by Outback 14 vs. Orchard Hill 12 in 2001, when Adolfo Cambiaso won for the last time before this.
And so we return, almost without knowing it, to the man who takes center stage–he is at the core of this article–. The crack player who, although he wore the Nº 3 shirt, it was the Nº 4 that he had befriended at Wellington: he obtained his 4th scepter in the United States Open; he received his 4th M.V.P. (most valuable player) award and he was the recipient of 4 of the 5 trophies of the high-goal Palm Beach circuit and–just to show that he couldn’t remain empty-handed even for a minute–, he won the subsidiary Iglehart cup in the only tournament in which he was not the winner. Adolfo Cambiaso should not enjoy that impunity; he should be sent to jail for infringement of the Antimnopoly Act. He is dominant in Argentina, in the United States and in England. He is like a powerful individual polo multi-national which, wherever he has a branch office, he charges and demolishes. He changes position; his team-mates change; he changes shirts; the urgencies change; even the horses change. What never changes is Cambiaso, in his association with success.
Summary Of The Final . TOTAL: 26 TOTAL: 25Progression: Crab Orchard (0-1), 1-3, 2-5, 6-6, 10-8, 12-10 and 15-14.
The Top10 Goalers.
The 15 Most Recent Champions
Year Team Players
The New American Handicaps
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