WELLINGTON, FL---Audi rallied from a two-goal deficit in the sixth chukker, only to lose a heartbreaking 11-10 game to ERG Sunday in the 109th Maserati U.S. Open at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

The emotion on the faces of Audi players Gonzalito and Nico Pieres, Jeff Hall and team captain Marc Ganzi after the game in the players' tent told the story.

With the score tied at 10-10, Paco de Narvaez of ERG scored the winning goal with 20 seconds left in regulation.

Earlier, Ganzi tried to keep the rally alive, taking a pass from Nico Pieres with 1:51 left and had a scoring opportunity but couldn't capitalize.

Ganzi has been playing all season with a knee injury, broken thumb and most recently a severely bruised arm.

"We had plenty of chances but as has been the case all season we can't put together six chukkers," Ganzi said. "I'm not useful to the team at all at the moment.

"It's difficult game to play when you're not 100 percent and that's on me. Physically and mentally you have to be 100 percent to play the game at a high level. All season since the injury I have not been 100 percent.

"I had a chance to win the game. I don't do it and they go the other way and score. End of season."

Audi had plenty of chances to win the hotly-contested, physical game.

After Audi took a 1-0 lead on Gonzalito Pieres goal, Hall dug the ball out of the turf and drove downfield for a goal attempt at 5:41 that went wide right. In that chukker, ERG's Eduardo Astrada was off his horse twice, first with a shoulder injury and then a leg injury but each time returned to the game

Late in the second chukker, Gonzalito Pieres lofted a 60-yarder with 3:54 left to tie the game at 2-2. Nico Pieres followed up with a penalty two goal for a 3-2 lead and Hall finished a strong run downfield for another goal for a 4-2 advantage with 2:11 showing on the clock. Nico Pieres had another goal attempt but hit the goal post and went wide.

Audi 10-goaler Gonzalito Pieres outraces ERG's Eduardo Astrada for the ball. Photo credit Alex Pacheco.

Gonzalito Pieres missed a goal attempt early in the third chukker and Audi penalties enabled ERG to reel them back in and tie the game at 4-4. The Pieres brothers and Hall all had scoring opportunities late in the chukker but the score remained tied at the half.

Gonzalito Pieres opened the fourth chukker with a goal on a cut shot to retake the lead, 5-4. Astrada then stole the ball and fed it to Paco De Narvaez to tie the game again at 5-5. The momentum then shifted with de Narvaez scoring on a breakaway and Tincho Merlos busting loose for another breakaway run for an ERG 7-5 lead.

Nico Pieres scored at the end of the fourth chukker after a safety call to cut ERG's lead to 7-6.

Early in the fifth chukker, Nico Pieres scored another penalty two goal to tie the game at 7-7 and despite pressure defense from Nico Pieres, de Narvaez drove the ball downfield to score for an 8-7 lead. Two minutes later, Tincho Merlos hit an angle shot and ERG is up by two again, 9-7.

With 2:48 left in the chukker, Gonzalito Pieres scored the goal of the game with an incredible 100-yard shot despite defensive pressure from all sides to cut the ERG lead to 9-8. Merlos then stole the ball from Pieres to score with 3 seconds left for a 10-8 lead.

In the final heart-stopping sixth chukker, Audi came roaring back. After Audi flirted with a goal around the goal mouth, Gonzalito Pieres scored a penalty to cut the ERG lead to 10-9 at the 6:27 mark. After a few broken plays on both sides, Gonzalito Pieres scored another penalty two goal to tie the game at 10-10 with 2:54 left.

Audi's Nico Pieres reaching out of the saddle for the ball against ERG's Paco de Narvaez. Photo credit Alex Pacheco.

Audi 10-goaler Gonzalito Pieres and Tincho Merlos of ERG each scored six goals. In four games, Nico Pieres is No. 6 on the U.S. Open leading scorers list with 13 goals, averaging 3.2 goals a game. Merlos has 15 goals in three games as third leading scorer.

Like many of its 26-goal games this season, it was a rollercoaster ride for Audi against ERG, playing well one chukker then making mental errors and crucial penalties in the next chukker.

"It's not that complicated a game to talk about, we had plenty of chances," Ganzi said. "We had a great second, horrible third, a mediocre fourth, bad fifth and in the sixth we played really well.

"The season has been unfortunately mostly downhill," Ganzi said. "But we've had a lot of good seasons. It just seems like we have been snakebitten the whole season. That's it, turn the page...move forward."

The inconsistent officiating, which has plagued the high goal games for most of the season, reared its ugly head again during the game.

"One theme that comes out of the season is they really need to be looking carefully at how to fix the officiating," Ganzi said. "It's 100 percent broken at the moment. I don't know how you fix it. It's the same guys missing the same calls. It's disappointing.

Audi's Nico Pieres hits the ball despite defensive pressure from ERG's Tincho Merlos. Photo credit Alex Pacheco.

"The problem is now that polo here in the U.S. is so even all the teams can beat any team on any given day. So when you have a game today where there are some pretty obvious calls that are missed it affects the psychology of the team and it affects the outcome of the game on the scoreboard. It's unfortunate that you have to lose that way."

In a rain make-up game, Piaget, with 10-goalers Sapo Caset and Miguel Astrada, also based at Grand Champions Polo Club, will play Alegria at 3 p.m. on Monday at IPC's Field 5.

Piaget will play without team captain Melissa Ganzi, still suffering from a severe groin pull sustained in a game. She will be replaced by Matias Sosa.

In the other Sunday game, Valiente 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso scored the winning goal in overtime to lead his team to a 13-12 victory over Zorzal.

It was Cambiaso's fifth goal of the game that featured technicals assessed to Cambiaso between the fourth and fifth chukkers and team captain Bob Jornayvaz with 49 seconds left in the fifth chukker.

Valiente, winner of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup, is 3-0 and one of only four remaining undefeated teams in the 11-team tournament. The others are Lechuza Caracas (2-0), Alegria (1-0) and Zacara (2-0).

The U.S. Open Polo Championship, first played in 1904 at Van Courtland Park, celebrated 100 years in 2004. It is one of three major polo tournaments worldwide along with the British and Argentine Opens. It is also the third jewel of U.S. polo's 26-goal Triple Crown that includes the C.V. Whitney Cup and USPA Piaget Gold Cup.

Since 1996, the U.S. Open has been held in South Florida. In 2005, Julio Gracida added to the Gracida family's combined record of 36 U.S. Open Polo Championship wins.

AUDI/PIAGET U.S. OPEN SCHEDULE

Monday, April 8, Piaget vs. Alegria, 3 p.m., IPC Field 5

Thursday, April 11, Piaget vs. Zacara,10 a.m.

Sunday, April 14, Quarterfinals

Wednesday, April 17, Hall of Fame Cup, semifinal; U.S. Open Semifinals, 2 and 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 20: Hall of Fame Cup final, 4 p.m.

Sunday, April 21: Maserati U.S. Open final, 3 p.m.

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 in a relaxed atmosphere during the spring and fall tournament season and other special events including the International Cup in November, Buzz Welker Memorial Junior Tournament in March, Women's Championship Tournament and Gay Polo League International Tournament, both in April.