A Valiente Piaget Gold Cup Final

By Alex Webbe

Wins by both Valiente I (13-10 over Coca-Cola) and Valiente II (12-8 over Piaget White)
Thursday afternoon will return both of the Colorado-based teams to the tournament
finals on Sunday in a re-match of their earlier meeting in the finals of the Royal Salute
C. V. Whitney Cup.

Valiente I became the first team to secure a berth in the finals of the 2012 USPA Piaget
Gold Cup by defeating Coca-Cola 13-10 at the International Polo Club in Wellington.

The two teams got off to a slow start with the first goal of the game coming nearly three
minutes into play. Miguel Astrada converted a penalty shot for a goal to put Valiente on
top, 1-0. It wasn’t until nearly four minutes later that Coca-Cola tied it up with a penalty
goal of their own by Julio Arellano. At the end of the first chukker of play the game was
all even at 1-1.

Nacho Astrada added two more goals to the Valiente I total, and his brother Miguel
Astrada notched his second goal of the game. Coca-Cola responded with single goals
from Arellano and Luis Escobar. After two chukkers, Valiente I held a narrow 4-3 lead.

Both offenses sparked up in the third with Arellano adding a goal from the field and
a penalty goal while Coca-Cola team captain Gillian Johnston added a goal with four
minutes left in the period. The Astrada brothers answered for Valiente I with Nacho
Astrada and Miguel Astrada adding two goals apiece. Valiente I took an 8-6 to the
sidelines with them at the end of the first half.

Coca-Cola’s Hilario Ulloa scored the first goal of the second half, about three minutes
into the chukker, but Valiente I responded with a vengeance. Miguel Astrada scored a
goal just a minute later and Polito Pieres added two more goals, including a magnificent
individual effort that had him carrying the ball over 200 yards down the field for a goal.
Valiente I had extended their lead to four goals, 11-7 after four periods of play.

Coca-Cola scored two goals in the fifth-a goal from the field from Ulla and a penalty goal
from Arellano-while holding Valiente I to a single scoring effort from Pieres. Coca-Cola
closed the gap a bit, but still trailed by three goals, 12-9.

Coca-Cola struggled to get back into the mix in the final chukker, but Valiente I wouldn’t
allow it. Pieres scored his fourth goal of the day to put Valiente I up, 13-9. Ulloa scored
the final goal of the game with 3:35 left in regulation time, and Valiente I rode off with
the 13-10 victory and a berth in Sunday’s finals of the 2012 USPA Piaget Gold Cup.

Miguel Astrada led the Valiente I attack with five goals (two on penalty shots). Polito

Pieres and Nacho Astrada scored four goals apiece in a winning effort.

Arellano was credited with five goals (three on penalty shots). Ulloa scored three times
while Johnston and Escobar added single goals for Coca-Cola.

VALIENTE II 12, PIAGET WHITE 8

In Thursday’s Piaget Gold Cup finale, Valiente II ran up a 6-4 halftime led on their way
to a 12-8 victory and a position in the tournament finals. This will not only be Valiente
II’s second major final of the year, but an opportunity to avenge their earlier loss to
Valiente I in the finals of the Royal Salute C. V. Whitney Cup.

Valiente II wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard with Adolfo Cambiaso
converting a 40-yard penalty shot in the opening twenty seconds of play. Pelon Stirling
scored on a difficult nearside neck-shot three minutes later to put Valiente II ahead 2-0.
Sixty seconds later, Jeff Hall got Piaget White on the scoreboard with a 60-yard penalty
shot. After the opening chukker Valiente II held a 2-1 lead.

Nico Pieres tied it up for Piaget White with a goal from the field in the first fifteen
seconds of the second chukker. Cambiaso retaliated with a pair of goals to put Valiente
II back in the lead, 4-2. Stirling’s second goal of the game had Piaget White leading by
three goals, 5-3 with less than three minutes left in the period. Cambiaso struck again,
converting a penalty shot for a goal, followed by a goal from Piaget White’s Hall with two
seconds on the clock. The period ended with Valiente II leading by three goals, 6-3.

The game proceeded to pick up speed and get more physical in the third period.
Defense ruled with Hall’s conversion of a 60-yard Safety shot for a goal. The potent
Valiente II offense was silenced for the first time all day. The first half ended with Piaget
White trailing 6-4.

Cambiaso opened the second half with a goal followed by a pair of successful scoring
efforts by Stirling. An oppressive Valiente II defense held Piaget II scoreless in the
fourth. Piaget White trailed by five goals going into the fifth, 9-4.

A reversal of fortunes found Piaget White taking advantage of a handful of fouls by
Valiente II. Gonzalito Pieres converted two 40-yard penalty shots with Nico Pieres
adding a penalty goal of his own. After five periods of play, Piaget White cut the
Valiente II lead to two goals, 9-7.

Cambiaso scored on a pair of penalty shots in the sixth and Hall countered with a
penalty goal for Piaget, but could do no more damage. Stirling scored the final goal of
the game in the last 90 seconds of the game for the 12-8 win.

The win not only catapulted Valiente II into the finals of the 2012 USPA Piaget Gold

Cup, but game them the opportunity of extracting revenge on their opponent, Valiente I
after suffering a disappointing loss in the C. V. Whitney Cup.

Cambiaso scored seven goals (four on penalty shots). Stirling was credited with five
goals on the day.

Hall scored four penalty goals for Piaget White. Gonzalo Pieres converted two penalty
shots for goals and Nico Pieres scored on a penalty shot and added a goal from the
field in the loss.

The finals of the 2012 USPA Piaget Gold Cup on Sunday, March 25 will be a reprise of
last month’s Royal Salute C. V. Whitney Cup finals, won by Valiente I, 10-8.