USA  vs France
France Executes USA 

          Saturday, July 5th...France returned to the Newport International Polo Series on Saturday, July 5^th  for Independence weekend to deliver USA their first defeat of the 2008 season.

 "The French are among the best polo players in all of Europe," explains Dan Keating, captain of the USA team.  "We can usually see the guillotine coming, but the firing squad took us by surprise!"  

           Hailing from the Morsang Polo Club in association with Polo de Bagatelle in Paris, the team was captained by Alain de Foucaud at #1, with teammates Cyrille Durand Behar at #2, Virgile Drubigny at #3 and Flavien Pecatte at #4.

          The USA roster included Leonard Nihan at #1, Ted Torrey and #2, Keating at #3 and Peter Friedman at #4.

           In the first half of the match, the French team overwhelmed the Americans with 11 unanswered goals as the French firing squad of Drubigny and Pecatte pierced the American lineup and defensive strategy.  After a strategic realignment, USA mounted their offensive in the second half, with 2-4 goals in each remaining period by Torrey, Friedman and Keating in combination and held the French team nearly scoreless for the remainder of the match, but in the end it was not enough to recover from their sluggish start, ending in a 14-9 victory for France.

            France is home to many polo clubs and players for over 100 years.  Currently, Frenchman Patrick Guerrand-Hermes presides as president of the Federation of International Polo (FIP).  Guerrand-Hermes and his son have both played in the Newport International Polo Series.

           A couple from Worcester, MA won the coveted Bose Wave Stereo door prize of the day.  The two-hour match was followed by a trophy presentation of the perpetual USA vs. France cup and naming of the Best Playing Pony, Scout. 

          The Newport International Polo Series features teams from around the world playing against USA. Matches are held every Saturday afternoon in June, July, August and September at Glen Farm in Portsmouth , RI , with teams coming from Canada , Scotland , France , Ireland , Egypt, Jamaica, England and South Africa this season, as well as from the Northeast circuit of polo clubs. 

          Tickets to the matches are sold at the gate on the day of the match.  Tailgate picnics on the lawn are welcome with field-side admission of $10.00 for adults, and children 15 & under are free.  Box seating in the Subscribers Enclosure is also available.