The fourth day in the 2020 Ylvisaker Cup featured a lone game at the International Polo Club Palm Beach between Pilot and Daily Racing Form. Despite having a different line-up than their Gauntlet of Polo™ winning team, Pilot continued their winning ways, defeating Daily Racing Form 12-8.
The remaining two teams to make their debut in the Ylvisaker Cup, Pilot overwhelmed Daily Racing Form with an impressive array of shots around goal, led by the duo of Gonzalito and Alfonso Pieres. Setting up each other with accurate passes, they combined for 11 goals and 4 assists, as Daily Racing Form was unable to slow their attack, due to the hard work of Lucas Escobar and Gonzalo de la Fuente off the ball. Daily Racing Form generated offense late in the game, but their slow start ultimately proved to be the difference, falling short in the four-goal loss.
Conceding one goal on handicap, Pilot wasted zero time erasing that deficit after Alfonso Pieres ran straight to goal on the opening throw-in to tie the score at 1-1. The remainder of the opening chukker had the two teams alternating possession in the middle of the field, until Pilot took their first lead on a penalty three conversion from 10-goaler Gonzalito Pieres. The momentum of the game dramatically changed in the second chukker as Daily Racing Form was kept off the scoreboard and Gonzalito Pieres headlined the Pilot attack, scoring two goals from the field, while also assisting on Alfonso Pieres’ second goal of the game as part of an unanswered run of five goals. The duo of Gonzalito and Alfonso Pieres continued to impress, increasing Pilot’s lead further, but Daily Racing Form finished the half strong after goals from Costi Caset and Agustin Obregon left the score at 6-3 heading into the final three chukkers.
Carrying their strong play into the second half, Alfonso Pieres scored just seconds into the fourth chukker, leaving Daily Racing Form with a larger deficit to overcome. A yellow card from Pilot resulted in a penalty two conversion for Daily Racing Form, restoring the three-goal deficit, but the strength of Pilot in open play proved to be the difference in the game. After trading penalty five fouls, Pilot scored two goals in quick succession to cement their stronghold on the game, holding a commanding five-goal lead with just two chukkers remaining. Gonzalito Pieres demonstrated his 10-goal status in leading Pilot to the victory, scoring consecutive goals to stop any hope of a Daily Racing Form comeback. Two late penalty two conversions for Jared Zenni in the sixth chukker wasn’t enough to challenge Pilot, who completed the impressive 12-8 victory.
Major reporting contributions for this article were received from the International Polo Club in Wellington FL. Please visit www.internationalpoloclub.com or call (561) 204-5687 for more information on the International Polo Club.
