Audi Team Captures U.S. Open Polo Championship™

Hall of famer Gonzalo Pieres never won a U.S. Open, but today, his dream came true as he
watched his sons, Nicolas, Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres bring it home for Wellington’s own Audi, as they
captured the U.S. Open, defeating Las Monjitas 9-8 in sudden death overtime at International Polo Club Palm
Beach.
“We feel very fortunate to have won today. It’s my first open that I’ve ever played in so I feel like I’ve
struck fools gold a little bit,” said team captain and Wellington resident Marc Ganzi. “Today was a culmination
of hard work, planning and a dream and it’s a great ending.”
This was a storybook ending for the Audi team, who trailed by four goals, at the end of the second
chukker 5-1.
“We were really surprised at their marking and their game plan…when we got behind by four we said
we gotta play their game plan,” added Ganzi. Ganzi also dedicated the win to his friend Victor Vargas, owner
of the Lechuza Caracas team, who lost 21 of their horses.
Prior to the start of today’s match a moment of silence was held and a bell was rung 21 times in honor of
the fallen horses. “This game is definitely a tribute to Victor, he’s a friend. I’m very confident that team will
regroup and be back here next year.”
Audi changed their game plan in the third chukker and scored two from the field and capitalized on a
field goal, ending the half 7-5.
“We changed a little bit, we moved me to back and we said, listen we gotta go one goal at a time. We
got lucky,” said Ganzi. His team trailed by one goal during the fourth and fifth periods and with just over a
minute in regulation play remaining, Audi’s Facundo Pieres tied the match at eight. Pieres, who scored seven of
the team’s 9 goals, also scored the winning goal in overtime.
There’s so much organization and planning that went into this team a year ago and to have it all come
together, it’s a dream come true,” added Ganzi.
International Polo Club Palm Beach is the premier polo facility in the United States and is currently
hosting the US Open Polo Championship, a tournament that has been played in the US since 1904. The polo
club has nine meticulously manicured and level polo fields that host the most competitive polo tournaments in
the country.
Game and other information is on the polo hotline at 561-282-5290 and for ticket and other information
call 561-204-5687. www.internationalpoloclub.com
Audi 0-1-4-1-1-1-1=9 o/t (Eduardo Astrada 4 goals)
Las Monjitas 2-3-2-0-1-0-0=8 (Facundo Pieres 7 goals)
Best Playing Pony Flecha Arrow owned and played by Eduardo Astrada
Most Valuable Players Adam Snow and Eduardo Astrada of Las Monjitas (1st in history to have two named)
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TAGS: Audi Polo, Chukker, Eduardo Astrada, Facundo Pieres, Gonzalo Pieres, International Polo Club, Las Mojitas, Marc Ganzi, Palm Beach, Polo MVP Adam Snow, Team, US Open Polo Championship, Victor Vargas, Wellington Polo