The 132nd Hurlingham Open has begun, and the first round produced a statement from the favourites. La Natividad La Dolfina beat La Hache Cría y Polo 29-4 on Wednesday, in a match that was not so much a contest as a procession.
A day late
The tournament was supposed to open on Tuesday 23 September, but rain pushed the first matches back to Wednesday the 24th, which is a familiar story at this time of year. When play got going, the favourites made up for lost time.
The results
- 24 September: La Natividad La Dolfina 29, La Hache Cría y Polo 4
- 24 September: Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú 13, Los Machitos El Refugio 6
- 25 September: La Irenita La Hache 14, Sol de Agosto 11
- 25 September: UAE Polo 21, La Ensenada 13
La Natividad La Dolfina’s margin was extraordinary. A 25-goal win in a high-goal Open is almost unheard of, and it sends a message to the field that the 40-goal team is ready. Ellerstina were also convincing against Los Machitos, winning by seven goals, and UAE Polo scored 21 goals in beating La Ensenada, showing that they are a strong attacking side.
What comes next
The winners now meet each other, with the matches due this week, while the four beaten sides also play one another. The pairings of the winners are:
- La Natividad La Dolfina against Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú
- La Irenita La Hache against UAE Polo
The first of those looks like the match of the tournament so far, with the Cambiasos and Castagnolas on one side and the Pieres and Heguy families on the other. The second pits two 37-goal teams against each other, and it should be a tight game.
The final is scheduled for Saturday 4 October. We will bring you the full report next week.
