Fernando Romero Nuñez La Natividad beat La Dolfina 13-11 on Sunday to claim its third Argentine Polo Open. The team led by the Castagnola brothers offered a masterclass at the world’s premier polo tournament, in a repeat of last year’s final.
The game was set to be a top-class spectacle. It was only the second 80-goal handicap final since La Dolfina beat Ellerstina in 2009. In polo, players are rated by an expert commission on their skill from zero to 10 goals, where zero is a novice and 10 is a world-class player. Currently, there are only eight 10-goal male players in the Argentine Polo Association, meaning all of them featured in this final.
La Dolfina started on top, taking control of the scoreboard from the first chukker. The team seemed eager not to repeat last year’s final, when they ran out of steam and let La Natividad triumph late on. However, they were wasteful, missing key chances to score that set the stage for what came next.
As the second half started, La Natividad looked more composed, less eager for referee calls, and ready to show their skill. The match was more closely fought until La Dolfina caved in the sixth chukker. A spree of seven consecutive goals turned the scoreboard on its head, from 4-6 to 11-6.
Photo: Matias Callejo/Prensa AAP
From then, it was smooth sailing for La Natividad, who didn’t rest on their laurels. Despite the final result, it was by no means a close match, with La Natividad in absolute control. The final goal, which left it 13-11, came with just seconds to spare.
“Winning in Palermo is incredible,” said Camilo Castagnola after the final. “It’s what you think about all year long. I still can’t believe it. We worked for this, improving year on year, and I want to thank my teammates.”
He added that despite feeling uncomfortable in the first half, keeping a minimal difference on the scoreboard was key for the comeback.
Castagnola’s analysis matches that of La Dolfina team founder and star Adolfo Cambiaso: “We played a great first half, but missed a lot of chances. We shot too much, it’s our fault. They controlled the fifth and sixth chukkers and that’s when they dominated us.”
At 49 years old, 18-time Abierto Argentino de Polo winner Cambiaso wouldn’t rule out another season but admitted he hasn’t made a decision yet.
