NEWS

Story Courtesy of International Polo Club Palm Beach

The opening day of the 2019 Ylvisaker Cup saw two dominant performances, with Pilot (Curtis Pilot, Matias Gonzalez, Lucas James, Facundo Pieres) overwhelming Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Costi Caset, Toto Collardin, Sapo Caset) throughout the first half in the 16-7 victory, while Dutta Corp (Timmy Dutta, Lucas Diaz Alberdi, Gringo Colombres, Kris Kampsen) pressured SD Farms (Sayyu Dantata, Juan Martin Obregon, Pelon Escapite, Peco Polledo) to capture the convincing 14-6 win to continue their strong play at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida.

Controlling the game from the opening throw-in, Pilot produced an effective attack that was led by Facundo Pieres, as he drove downfield with the support of Matias Gonzalez and Lucas James. Tonkawa struggling to slow the Pilot offense, their inability to gain possession from the throw-in proved to be problematic as Pilot’s possessions increased as they strung together multiple runs to goal. The usually potent Sapo Caset was kept off the scoresheet in the opening four chukkers, unable to put together an effective passing attack and allowing Pilot to run away with the game.

Making his 2019 debut, Pilot’s 10-goaler Facundo Pieres wasted no time making his impact on the game, scoring five goals in the opening two chukkers. Pilot produced an organized attack with the team actively blocking oncoming defenders and providing Pieres with the space he needed to effectively run with the ball. Winning 10 of the first 11 throw-ins in the game, Pilot continued their relentless attack and finished with accuracy around goal, converting 10 of their 14 shots in the first half. After scoring an impressive four goals in each of the first three chukkers, Pilot found themselves holding a commanding 12-2 lead, leaving Tonkawa with little hope in the game.

While the second half proved to be closer, Pilot managed their lead in a clean game that saw Tonkawa receive zero penalty shots. Caset, unable to score from the penalty line, was finally able to find the goal posts with a goal each in the fifth and sixth chukkers. After the initial scoring outburst to begin the game, Pieres found Gonzalez, James and Pilot with accurate passes to maintain possession. Ultimately, the lightning quick start from Pilot sealed the fate of Tonkawa early in the game in the 16-7 defeat.

The second game of the day saw Dutta Corp continue their exceptional play in the eight goal victory over SD Farms. A scrappy first half saw a frustrated SD Farms team commit 11 of their 13 fouls in the opening half, allowing Dutta Corp to rely on their penalty shooting to build a large lead. Kris Kampsen produced five goals in the third chukker, with four goals coming from the penalty line to help Dutta Corp build a 7-2 advantage. SD Farms continually lost the field advantage due to their foul trouble and shot just one for seven in the opening three chukkers to fall behind.

The beginning of the second half saw Dutta Corp at their finest, with each player scoring one goal each in a 4-0 fourth chukker to increase the lead to nine. The final of four goals in the chukker was scored by Timmy Dutta, finishing a run of 10 consecutive goals for Dutta Corp with two chukkers remaining. Responsible for all SD Farms goals in the game, Juan Martin Obregon scored three goals in the fifth chukker, but it was too little too late as the organized Dutta Corp defense kept SD Farms from threatening a comeback. Claiming the 14-6 victory, Dutta Corp remains undefeated on the season, improving to a perfect 6-0 record.

©Alex Pacheco/International Polo Club Palm Beach