Zacara vs. Piaget

03/19/2012, 10:00 am |

Piaget - 10, Zacara - 9

The semifinals of the 2012 USPA Piaget Gold Cup have been established on the grounds of the International Polo club with Piaget downing Zacara, 10-9 while Coca-Cola earned the right to move on with an 11-10 win over ERG.

Piaget opened the day’s quarterfinal Piaget Gold Cup action by outscoring Zacara 3-1 in the opening chukker. Facundo Pieres got Zacara on the scoreboard with a goal from the field but Jeff Hall responded with three 40-yard penalty shots for Piaget for the early lead.

Piaget picked up the pace in the second chukker, and goals from the field from Gonzalito Pieres and Nico Pieres had Piaget in front, 5-1. A last minute goal from Magoo Laprida cut the lead down to a manageable three goals, 5-2.

Laprida’s second goal of the game opened the third chukker and cut the Piaget lead to two goals, 5-3. A goal from the field from Facundo Pieres less than a minute later saw Zacara behind by a single goal, 5-4. Hall extended the Piaget lead to two goals, 6-4, with a goal from the field. Just over a minute later, Nico Pieres scored to put Piaget on top, 7-4. Laprida cut the lead to two goals, once again, as he converted a penalty shot for a goal. Piaget left the field at the end of the first half with a 7-5 advantage.

The two teams traded goals in the fourth chukker with Gonzalo Pieres and Nico Pieres scoring single goals from the field for Piaget. Zacara responded with a pair of penalty goals from Facundo Pieres. After four chukkers of play, Piaget continued to lead, 9-7.

Both teams battled up and down the field in a choppy fifth chukker. A Piaget foul finally sent Facundo Pieres to the penalty line where he converted the shot for a goal. The chukker ended with Piaget holding on to a 9-8, one goal lead.

A minute-and-a-half into the final chukker, Nico Pieres broke loose and scored a goal to put Piaget on top, 10-8. Zacara continued to press its attack, resulting in a foul and a 40-yard penalty shot that was taken by Facundo Pieres and blocked. Moments later, Facundo Pieres would convert a penalty shot to bring Zacara within a goal of the lead, 10-9, but that would be as close as they would come as Piaget took the game and earned a berth in the semifinals against Valiente II on Thursday at 4pm.

Facundo Pieres led the field with six goals (four on penalty shots). Laprida added three goals in the losing cause.

Nico Pieres and Jeff Hall scored four goals apiece with three of Halls goals coming on penalty shots. Gonzalito Pieres added two goals for the win.