La Dolfina have won the Argentine Open at Palermo for the fourth year running. They beat Ellerstina 16-12 in the final of the 123rd championship on Saturday 10 December, closing a season in which they had also won the Tortugas Open.
The line-ups
- La Dolfina (40 goals): Adolfo Cambiaso, David Stirling, Pablo Mac Donough and Juan Martín Nero.
- Ellerstina (39 goals): Facundo Pieres, Pablo Pieres, Gonzalo Pieres and Nicolás Pieres.
How it was won
It was not La Dolfina’s most polished performance, but their individual quality came through at the key moment, in the seventh chukker. Uruguayan David Stirling was the player of the match with six goals, taking part in the decisive plays that turned the score around against a very determined Ellerstina team.
- La Dolfina scorers: Cambiaso six, Stirling six, Nero three, Mac Donough one.
- Ellerstina scorers: Facundo Pieres seven, Nicolás Pieres three, Gonzalo Pieres two.
Facundo Pieres was the top scorer on the field with seven, and his performance was one of the highlights of the final. Cambiaso, who did not shine as he usually does, still scored six, and expressed delight at winning another final after a season of hard work.
The record
- La Dolfina became the first team to win four Palermo titles in a row since La Españada in 1990, a gap of 26 years.
- It was their tenth Argentine Open title, which puts them third in the all-time list behind Coronel Suárez (25) and Hurlingham (15).
- They had to settle for two of the three Triple Crown tournaments this year after losing the Hurlingham Open to Ellerstina in November.
Ellerstina’s wait for a Palermo title goes on, but the way they ended the season, with the Hurlingham win and a determined showing in this final, shows they will be strong again next year. The final was played on Field 1 at Palermo.
For La Dolfina, led as ever by Cambiaso, it was a fitting end to another outstanding year.
Sources: Infobae
