In a dream final in Palermo, La Natividad lifted the trophy of the Argentine Open Championship by beating La Dolfina 13-10. The team made up of Camilo and Bartolomé Castagnola, Facundo Pieres and Pablo Mac Donough played better in the key moments and won the most important tournament in world polo for the second time. In addition, he prevented Adolfo Cambiaso from adding his 19th title and being one shy of Juan Carlos Harriott's all-time record.
Jeta Castagnola, the youngest of the brothers (sons of Lolo and nephews of Cambiaso) and a star with a huge future, was the top scorer for the new champions, with four goals, one of them a penalty. Although the other three members of the green quartet also contributed their part to the victory: each one scored three goals.
The award for the top scorer of the match, however, was left on the opposite side. It was won by Poroto Cambiaso, with seven strikes, three from the penalty spot. The great aim of the heir of La Dolfina, who at 18 years of age is already one of the best players in the world, was not enough to sustain the illusion of the team in the blue shirt, which missed, above all, the contribution of Adolfito, who barely scored a goal.
La Natividad broke the tie between the two in definitions of this tournament, the last of the Triple Crown, in what was the third consecutive final that starred the two best teams of today.
Jeta, scorer of La Natividad in the final, and a celebration with his father Lolo. Photo: Marcelo Carroll
The Castagnola team won the 2021 tournament 15-13 and shouted for champion for the first time in their first final in the competition. It was in only his third season in the Triple Crown and with a line-up made up of the Castagnola brothers, Pablo Pieres and Ignatius Du Plessis.
In last year's match, La Dolfina, with its current line-up, although with 39 goals (Poroto still had a handicap of 9), achieved a resounding 13-9 victory and celebrated the 15th trophy in the Argentino Abierto in its 22nd final.
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