WELLINGTON, Florida. — GlobalPort bounced back into contention in the US Open Polo Championship on Sunday with a hard-fought 10-7 victory over BTA at the National Polo Center.
Led by team owner and sports patron Mikee Romero, GlobalPort had a balanced offensive effort, led by 10-goaler Bartolome Castagnola who scored six goals, including three in the decisive sixth and final chukker.
The crucial win kept GlobalPort in contention for one of the tournament’s eight quarterfinal spots.
The 22-goal tournament, considered the crown jewel of polo in the United States, is the third and final leg of the prestigious Gauntlet of Polo series, which also includes the C.V. Whitney Cup and the recently concluded USPA Gold Cup.
The victory put GlobalPort back on track in the preliminary matches after a 7-9 loss to favorite La Dolfina/Tamera, the Whitney Cup champion, in the opening match.
GlobalPort next plays USPA Gold Cup winner Park Place on Saturday for a quarterfinal berth in the 12-team tournament.
The luck of the draw put GlobalPort in the tournament’s toughest group, the so-called “bracket of death,” where the teams must play against three of the toughest teams in the tournament, including the winners of the first two legs of the Gauntlet, in cross-bracket matchups.
Castagnola, the Argentinian star who is one of the top goal scorers of polo’s winter season in Florida, once again led GlobalPort’s scoring. Nico Escobar, substituting for Lucas Diaz Alberdi, contributed three goals, while 18-year-old Argentinian phenom Beltran Laulhe added one.
Romero anchored a solid GlobalPort defense that thwarted shot after shot by BTA.
GlobalPort took an early 2-0 lead in the first chukker and maintained their advantage, leading 3-2 in the second and 5-3 at halftime. However, BTA fought back fiercely, with the combined offensive efforts of 10-goaler Tomas Panelo and 5-goaler Steve Krueger keeping the game close.
BTA held Castagnola scoreless in the fifth chukker, allowing Krueger to tie the match at 6-6. But Escobar responded, pushing GlobalPort ahead 7-6 heading into the final period.
