For the seventh year in a row, the Argentine Open belongs to La Dolfina. On Saturday 14 December, at the Campo Argentino de Polo in Palermo, La Dolfina beat Ellerstina 16-12 in the final of the 126th Argentine Open, the most important tournament in world polo.
The match
The final was the twelfth meeting of these two teams in the tournament’s showpiece. La Dolfina went into it undefeated for the year, and had qualified for the final in their 100th game with the current line-up. They were without the injured Juan Martín Nero, who was replaced by Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade, but the team’s strength in depth was enough.
The goals were spread across the side:
- La Dolfina: Adolfo Cambiaso 6, Pablo Mac Donough 5, Juan Martín Nero 2, Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade 2, David Stirling 1.
- Ellerstina: Facundo Pieres 8, Pablo Pieres 3, Gonzalo Pieres Jr. 1.
Facundo Pieres, who scored eight of Ellerstina’s twelve goals, played a superb match, but his team could not match La Dolfina’s balance. Cambiaso, the team’s captain and the best player in the world, led the scoring for the winners.
A remarkable record
The win was La Dolfina’s 13th Argentine Open title, two more than Hurlingham, the second most successful club in the history of the event. Against Ellerstina, they now lead the finals series at Palermo 9-3, with a goal tally of 177 to 160. The numbers show a long rivalry in which, for the past seven seasons, one team has always had the last word.
It was also an unusual season in Argentina. Ellerstina, as we noted a month ago, won the Abierto de Tortugas and ended La Dolfina’s chances of a Triple Crown. That made the Palermo final all the more of a showdown, and the best team won it again.
What next?
Winning seven in a row is a feat that would have seemed impossible a decade ago. The question for 2020 is whether anyone can break the pattern. Ellerstina, with their blend of Pieres family experience and speed, are the most likely candidates, but La Dolfina’s four-man core has a combination of skill, horsepower and nerve that is very hard to beat in a big match.
A fine end to the polo year, and a good moment for us to thank readers for following along in 2019.
Sources: Diario de Cuyo, POLO+10
