El Remanso upsets King Power; Murus Sanctusdowns Talandracas-Queens Cup semifinals set

By Alex Webbe

 

King Power Foxes (Top Srivaddhanaprabha, Jimbo Fewster, Gonzalito Pieres and Facundo Pieres) looked strong in the first semifinal-knockout of the 2017 Cartier Queens Cup, spotting El Remanso (Charlie Hanbury, Oliver Cudmore, James Beim and James Harper) one goal by handicap but quickly picking it up on back-to- back goals from Gonzalito Pieres, 2-1. Ollie Cudmore tied it at 2-2 for the All-English team but Facundo Pieres scored the final goal of the chukker, carrying it over the goal line in the air for the early 3-2 lead.

A rejuvenated El Remanso returned to the field in the second chukker and took immediate control of the game. An aggressive attack kept King Power on their heels throughout much of the second period. Charlie Hanbury scored the opening goal of the chukker to tie the game at 3-3 followed by a go-ahead goal from James Harper.

Harper’s second goal of the day came on a well-executed neck shot from over 40-yards out to make it 5-3. James Beim became the fourth member of the El Remanso team to score in the match, giving El Remanso a three-goal advantage, 6-3 as a disciplined defense held King Power scoreless.

Both defenses were at their best in the third. A penalty conversion by Facundo Pieres (Penalty 2, spot hit) accounted for the only goal of the chukker. King Power team captain, Top Srivaddhanaprabha took a tumble from his horse towards the end of the first half, and was unable to continue. Charles Cooney replaced him. After three periods of play, El Remanso held a two -goal lead, 6-4.

King Power tried to power their way back into the game in the fourth, but the El Remanso defense held. Facundo Pieres missed on a 60-yard penalty attempt at the 5:25 mark of the chukker, with the El Remanso lead holding at 6-4.

Buoyed by their first half success, El Remanso stayed on the attack in fifth chukker play. Goals from Cudmore and Hanbury extended the El Remanso lead to four goals, 8-4.

King Power scored their first goal in two chukkers on a penalty conversion from Facundo Pieres. King Power had cut the El Remanso lead to a manageable three goal lead, 8-5, but with one chukker remaining in regulation play, time was running out.

Harper scored his third goal of the game in the opening 30 seconds of the sixth period, 9-5. Consecutive goals from Gonzalito Pieres and Facundo Pieres had King Power within two goals of the lead, 9-7, but they would get no closer. The two teams traded goals with Harper scoring two more for El Remanso and King Power picking up goals from Jimbo Fewster and Facundo Pieres for an 11-9 El Remanso victory.

The win boosts El Remanso into Wednesday’s 4pm Queens Cup semifinal against an undefeated RH Polo (Ben Soleimani, Tommy Beresford, Adolfo Cambiaso and Rodrigo Andrade) lineup while King Power will have to reorganize and prepare to defend their 2016 British Open title.

Murus Sanctus 10, Talandracas 7 In the second Cartier Queens Cup match of the day, Murus Sanctus (Corinne Ricard,
Hilario Ulloa, Facundo Sola and Martin Podesta) raced out to a 6-2 lead over Talandracas (Edouard Carmignac, Guillermo Caset, Pelon Stirling and Jack Hyde) before running off with the game, 10-7.

First chukker goals from Hilario Ulloa (40-yard penalty conversion) and Facundo Sola went unanswered as Talandracas was handcuffed in the early going by an aggressive Murus Sanctus defense. After the first chukker, Murus Sanctus held a 2-0 advantage.

Both defenses were at their best in the second. A pair of penalty goals from Ulloa were countered by a single 30-yard penalty goal from Talandracas 9-goaler, Sapo Caset. After two periods of play, Murus Sanctus stretched their lead to three goals, 4-1. Pelon scored the first goal of the third chukker, stealing the ball from a Talandracas player and charging the near length of the field for a goal. The score cut the Talandracas lead back to two goals, 4-2. Ulloa scored on a 60-yard penalty shot and Sola added another goal from the field to end the period with Murus Sanctus leaving the field at the end of the first half on top of a 6-2 score.

Caset got Talandracas on the scoreboard in the opening minute of the fourth period on a solo run down the field for a goal, 6-3. Ulloa scored on a 40-yard penalty shot that was followed by a pair of 30-yard penalty goals from Stirling and Caset. Talandracas had crept to within two goals of the lead, 7-5, with just two periods remaining in regulation play.

A solid Murus Sanctus defensive effort shut down the Talandracas offense in the fifth. Another penalty goal from Ulloa and a goal from the field from Sola extended the Murus Sanctus lead to four goals, 9-5. Talandracas attempted a last chukker rally, but Murus Sanctus wasn’t having any of it, scoring once while giving up a pair of goals to Talandracas in the sixth for the 10-7 victory.

The win sends Murus Sanctus to Wednesday’s 4pm game against a banged-up La Indiana team (Michael Bickford, Nic Roldan, Agustin Merlos and Luke Tomlinson). 

Sunday’s consolation quarterfinals will feature La Bamba de Areco (Jean Francois Decaux, Diego Cavanagh, Magoo Laprida and Rodrigo Rueda, Jr.) against Sommelier (George Hanbury, Juan Gris Zavaleta, Fred Mannix and Alec White) in a noon contest followed by a 3pm battle between Sifani (Hilali Noordeen, John-Paul Clarkin, Julian de Lusarreta and Guillermo Terrera) and Monterosso (Alessandro Bazzoni, Ignacio Toccalino, Santiago Toccalino and Matt Perry).