Mar 24, 2021 4:53 PM
The 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® contenders have been decided with the C.V. Whitney Cup® Final, Park Place (Jack Whitman*, Juan Britos, Hilario Ulloa, Matt Coppola*) defeating Scone (David Paradice, Peke Gonzalez*, Adolfo Cambiaso, Poroto Cambiaso) 11-10 in overtime. Winning such an important tournament against Adolfo Cambiaso is no easy feat and that is why this is such a special achievement for Matt Coppola.
“This is the most important tournament I have ever won,” Coppola said. “Hilario and I lost the final two years ago with Las Monjitas playing against Pilot, so it was nice to finally be able to win it. Winning the C.V. Whitney Cup® is the most important thing, but to be able to compete against Adolfo [Cambiaso] is an unexplainable feeling. In my opinion he’s the best player that has ever played the game.”
Playing in four games before reaching the final, Coppola commented on the difficulty of their journey to the trophy. “We had a tough first game against La Indiana which we lost in overtime,” Coppola said. “I think we’re growing as a team and really understand each other on and off the field.” Reaching the final against the only undefeated team, Park Place had no margin for error. “The final was really tough,” Coppola said. “We knew we had to play really well and be disciplined to have a chance at beating Scone.”
Officially the only team remaining as contenders for the GAUNTLET OF POLO® title, Park Place are setting their sights on the USPA Gold Cup® and U.S. Open Polo Championship®. “We have a great team and a great organization behind us,” Coppola said. “I think that if we keep playing and improving every game as a team, we’ll have a chance at winning the other two trophies.”
*Peke Gonzalez and Jack Whitman are Active Team USPA Members. Matt Coppola is a Graduating Team USPA Member. Team USPA is a USPA program designed to enhance and grow the sport of polo in the United States by identifying young, talented American players and providing mentored training and playing opportunities leading to a pool of higher rated amateur and pro players and the resultant giveback to the sport of polo.
All photos courtesy of ©David Lominska.
Effective Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
The suspension of USPA Tournaments and Events will be lifted for USPA Member Clubs in locales where hosting polo matches and tournaments is permitted under applicable state and local laws, executive orders and similar decrees. The USPA Member Clubs in these locales are encouraged to follow all such requirements of their state and local authorities with respect to polo operations. In addition, we also encourage all USPA Member Clubs to take the precautions recommended by the CDC. We are preparing a detailed list of best practices for USPA Member Clubs as they return to hosting USPA Tournaments and Events and plan to circulate these guidelines within the next week. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and will notify you if we determine a different course of action is necessary.
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