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Valiente Knocks Off Audi, 10-7, for First USPA Piaget Gold Cup Loss

Audi’s Jeff Hall tries to ride off Valiente’s Santi Torres for the ball. Photos – Alex Pacheco.

WELLINGTON, FL – March 15, 2013 — Audi, not playing on all cylinders as it did when it knocked off C. V. Whitney Cup champion Alegria, suffered a 10-7 loss to Valiente in one of five USPA Piaget Gold Cup games Thursday in front of a packed field at windswept International Polo Club Palm Beach.

It was one of the biggest games of the high-goal polo season featuring 10-goalers Adolfo Cambiaso and Pelon Stirling of Valiente and Gonzalito Pieres of Audi.

Grand Champions Polo Club-based Audi committed several unforced errors, including missed penalty shots and scoring opportunities, and was never in sync for most of the game.

Audi managed to outshoot Valiente, 20-15, but missed 13 shots including eight shots at goal and five on penalty shot attempts.

It was Audi’s first loss of the 11-team tournament, falling to 2-1 in its bracket. Other bracket members Mt. Brilliant and Coca Cola remain winless at 0-3.

The game was penalty-marred as Audi players lost their cool as the game progressed and were assessed four red cards.

With a lack of field team leadership and fire, the absence of team captain Marc Ganzi, nursing a broken thumb and knee injury, was never more evident.

Ganzi was replaced by 16-year-old Wellington High senior Juancito Bollini, competing in his third 26-goal game ever. While Bollini held his own, his lack of experience against more savvy players took its toll and Valiente took advantage.

Audi's Nico Pieres goes for the neck shot against Valiente
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Audi’s Nico Pieres goes for the neck shot against Valiente

“It was a bad start and there was confusion in the way they took their men as they were supposed to,” said Juan Bollini, a former eight-goaler and player-coach for Piaget and co-manager of Grand Champions.

“There were a few calls that made a few changes in the game,” said Bollini, who watched the game with Piaget team-captain Melissa Ganzi and her Piaget teammates. “It wasn’t a good day today. It is hard to play against Cambiaso; he has been the best player in the world for the last 20 years. He is well-mounted and he uses everybody. You have to have your best day to beat Cambiaso.

“Audi still had a chance but one foul here, one foul there and the penalties that they missed and Audi is right back in the game,” Bollini said.

Added Bollini about his son, “I am very proud of Juancito. Today was not his best game. He was kind of lost. He was not on today. But it was good, he will learn; he is 16 years old.”

Ganzi is expected to return to the lineup for Sunday’s key game against Lyndon Lea’s Zacara team. Audi has beaten Zorzal in overtime and Alegria in Gold Cup play.

In the Valiente game, Gonzalito Pieres was held to three goals, which was a team-high. Nico Pieres and Jeff Hall each had two goals.

Gonzalito Pieres tries to gain control of the ball
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Gonzalito Pieres tries to gain control of the ball

Santi Torres led Valiente scoring with six goals, five on penalty shots. Cambiaso had three goals and Stirling added one goal.

Grand Champions Polo Club-based other pro team, Piaget, had a tough day too, losing to Orchard Hill, 12-7, to drop to 0-2 in its bracket.

In other Thursday games at IPC, Alegria defeated Coca-Cola, 11-10, in overtime; Lechuza Caracas edged ERG, 9-6; and Zorzal routed Mt. Brilliant, 14-6.

Piaget will play next on Sunday in the IPC stadium marquis game at 3 p.m. against ERG. In the early game, Audi plays Zacara at 10 a.m.

First played in 1974, the 26-goal USPA Gold Cup has been played at various polo clubs until it found a home at IPC in 2007.

When the USPA awarded IPC the Gold Cup in 2007, the International Polo Club Palm Beach, home of the 26-goal C.V. Whitney Cup Tournament and U.S. Open Championship, sealed its place in history as host of all three legs of the Triple Crown.

Piaget is saluting IPC’s tenth anniversary with the launch of its new luxury Polo FortyFive Black watch which will join their successful collection of polo watches first introduced in the late 1970s.

USPA PIAGET GOLD CUP AUDI/PIAGET SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 17: Zacara vs. Audi, 10 a.m.; Piaget vs. ERG, 3 p.m., stadium game.

Wednesday, March 20: Piaget Gold Cup Semifinals, 2, 4 p.m.

Thursday, March 21: Butler Handicap Semifinals, Gold Cup subsidiary, 10 a.m., noon

Sunday, March 24: Butler Handicap Final, noon; USPA Piaget Gold Cup Final, 3 p.m.

Tuesday, March 26: U.S. Open begins, schedule, pairings to be announced.

AUDI/PIAGET TOURNAMENT LINEUP

March 7 – March 24, USPA Piaget Gold Cup

March 26 – April 21, 109th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship

GRAND CHAMPIONS POLO CLUB

WHERE: On the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington.

INFORMATION: There are great field side views for tournament action at the home base of pro teams Audi and Piaget. Everyone is welcome to watch polo during the spring and fall tournament season and other special events including the Buzz Welker Memorial Junior Tournament, Women’s Championship Tournament and Gay Polo League Tournament.

Sharon Robb for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

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