Grand Champions Polo Club: Piaget Loses Hardfought Battle Against ERG In Les Armour Cup Semifinal, Looks Ahead To Piaget Gold Cup

Source: News Release/Sharon Robb for PMG Inc.

Piaget Loses Hardfought Battle Against ERG In Les Armour Cup Semifinal,
Looks Ahead To Piaget Gold Cup

WELLINGTON, FL----Playing well together as a team, Piaget may have lost a hardfought 12-11 decision to ERG Friday in the Les Armour Cup semifinals but found the chemistry it needs to challenge for the USPA Piaget Gold Cup that gets under way next week.

"It was important for us to have a game like this before we started the Piaget Gold Cup," said Piaget team captain Melissa Ganzi. "I was absolutely pleased with the way the team played today.

Piaget 10-goaler Sapo Caset keeps possession of the ball while ERG's Scott Wood tries to defend with Piaget 10-goaler Miguel Astrada charging hard to help out his teammate. Photo credit Alex Pacheco.

"I am excited about the Gold Cup," Ganzi said. "The team is coming together at the right time. We got a good draw. We play ERG again, Lechuza and Orchard Hill."

Piaget opens Gold Cup play on Saturday, March 9th against Lechuza Caracas.

Piaget, one of only two teams with two 10-goalers in its lineup for the 26-goal season, was looking for more offense and got it in Friday's game.

"Miguel Astrada is controlling the back now and Nacho Badiola is running forward with the ball which helps a lot and gives him some breathing room," Piaget coach Joey Casey said. "Sapo is really quick, too, so mainly we are trying to get more offensive. With the team chemistry that's a great combination.

"I liked the way the team went today," Casey said. "It looked very good. It was great team play."

Piaget 10-goaler Sapo Caset was aggressive for most of the game and played well on both ends of the field. Caset led scoring with six goals including four on penalty shots. Ten-goaler Miguel Astrada had two goals.

"I am happy with this game, we know we can do better than this," Caset said. "It's good to play against a team like this, they are a good team. We can see how good our team is and how the horses are and where we need to get ready for the Gold Cup.

"It was a good game, in my opinion I didn't mind win or lose," Caset said. "We wanted to see how Nacho's horses were doing and how he was doing in his first 26-goal tournament. I am happy, it was a very positive day."

Six-goaler Nacho Badiola, son of former 9-goaler Juan Badiola making his IPC debut at age 23, had one goal and played well defensively. Badiola has played at Palm City and also this past spring season at Grand Champions Polo Club.

Piaget team captain Melissa Ganzi avoids the hook from ERG's Tincho Merlos while attacking the ball during a hard-charging downfield run. Photo credit Alex Pacheco.

"I think we are playing better," Badiola said. "It's a new team and we are getting to know each other. Today was a good game but we can get our rhythm and play better. It is amazing I am on this team with two 10-goalers. I get to learn and play good polo. They are always talking to me and it's fun."

Last-chukker replacement Brandon Phillips added two goals for Piaget in a wild sixth chukker.

ERG was led by a balanced scoring attack. Tincho Merlos led with five goals followed by 9-goaler Paco de Narvaez with four goals and 9-goaler Eduardo Astrada with three goals.

The evenly-matched teams battled back and forth throughout the game. ERG had a two-goal lead in the first three chukkers but Piaget battled back for a 6-6 halftime score.

ERG regained the lead and led by two late in the fourth chukker before Miguel Astrada scored from the field and Caset scored on a penalty goal to tie the game again at 8-8. ERG jumped on Piaget and scored two quick goals by de Narvaez and Merlos for a 10-8 advantage.

After a 15-minute injury timeout for a Piaget roster change, ERG took advantage of Piaget's new lineup for a 12-9 advantage.

Piaget tried to stage a late rally behind Phillips' two goals and Caset's penalty goal but ran out of time.

Miguel and Eduardo Astrada are two of five Astrada brothers who play professional polo. The others are Javier, Ignacio and Alejandro.

"I don't forget he is my brother," Miguel Astrada said with a smile. "I think it's always good playing against him because I more or less know what he's going to do, so in one way it's easy."

Astrada was forced to leave the game in the sixth chukker after sustaining a pulled groin muscle in the first half. Astrada tried stretching it out at the end of the third chukker and playing in the fourth and fifth chukkers but decided to pull himself out of the game to avoid any further serious injury.

"I think it's a pull in my groin, I tried stretching my riding muscle but it started getting worse so that's why I came off," Astrada said.

Ganzi, who turned in one of her best games of the season, sat down to allow 5-goalers Brandon Phillips and Juan Bollini to play the final chukker.

Astrada and Caset, who have played together several times in Argentina and England, found their chemistry and played well together.

"I know him a lot," Caset said. "All the teams are 26 goals so it doesn't matter whether you have two 10-goalers or one or you don't have any. I think all the teams are really competitive."

Astrada is pleased with the team's progress since its CV Whitney Cup opener.

"It was a good game, I think we were doing well," Astrada said. "We had a few problems with the throw-ins and we had to adjust a couple of things. I think we were doing well playing together. I think with a few more practices we will do well in the Piaget Gold Cup."

Grand Champions Polo Club-based Piaget will now focus on its practice sessions and Astrada getting healthy for Piaget Gold Cup.

Piaget 10-goaler Sapo Caset approaches the ball for a long downfield shot to goal with ERG's Tincho Merlos closing in. Photo credit Alex Pacheco.

CV WHITNEY CUP SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 3: CV Whitney Cup Final, Alegria vs. Lechuza Caracas, 3 p.m.

LES ARMOUR CUP SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 3: Les Armour Cup Final, Orchard Hill vs. ERG, noon.

IGLEHART CUP

Sunday, March 3: Subsidiary, Port Mayaca vs. Tonkawa, 10 a.m.; Final, Crab Orchard vs. Villa del Lago, 10 a.m.

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