Newport Polo Club

News - Match Summary - 3rd June 2000 -

USA vs

Argentina

USA STAGES HUGE UPSET
The Newport International Polo Series opened its millennium season on Saturday, June 3rd, 2000, with an impressive victory as USA staged a dramatic upset against legendary Argentina, who has dominated the sport internationally for decades and only lost on one prior appearances in Newport.

In one of his best performances as USA captain, Dan Keating assembled a team of his most improved players to meet the daunting challenge in the home opener. Playing in the #3 position, he kept his team sharp and on the attack, while scoring a total of five goals during the match. Jim Zynsky, playing in the #1 position, showed great confidence with three goals. In the #2 position, Gene Goldstein posted two solid goals. Mark Wright played in the #1 position and Leonard Nihan played in the #4 position. For Argentina, Leo Mendelbaum, in the #2 position, gave the crowd a good show of Argentine expertise with five breathless goals during the match. Martine Baybu, in the #3 position, was also tough on USA with three goals. Michael Ashby scored a goal, playing in the #4 position, as did Alex Doce, playing in the #1 position. Alex's wife, Pato Doce, alternated in the #3 position.

USA was given a 2-goal handicap at the outset of the match to equal the cumulative player handicap advantage of Argentina. In the opening chukka, USA's four goals demonstrated their preparedness after a long winter of training, tipping the score considerably in their favor, 6-0. In the second chukka, Argentina came to life as they honed their game to the local field and mounts, scoring three times before the bell rang but not without giving up a hard-earned USA goal, for an enticing 7-3 chase. Both teams fought hard to make a difference in the third chukka, and Argentina chiseled closer with two goals to USA's one, ending the first half 8-5. USA resumed the second half with the same stay-ahead strategy and scored twice, holding Argentina to one goal and keeping a comfortable 10-6 lead. In the fifth chukka the teams went head to head knowing the trophy remained up for grabs in the midst of Argentine scoring potential, but matching pairs of goals for each team changed little as the scores climbed to 12-8. Determined to make up the difference, Argentina poured it on in the final chukka, forcing all defense from USA as screaming fans watched them come within one point of tying the score before the clock ran out, ending the match 12-11. Both teams had certainly worked up an appetite for the asado that followed!