The Team:
Alejandro Poma (1)
Matt Coppola (4)
Diego Cavanagh (7)
Adolfo Cambiaso (10)
Champions of 2 out of 3 of the Gauntlet of Polo series titles having won the CV Whitney Cup against Coca Cola and most recently defeating La Dolfina/ Catamount to win the US Open Polo Championship, La Dolfina/ Tamera have had an incredible season, the only team to remain unbeaten throughout the US Open
The secret to their success has proven to be Adolfo Cambiaso but not in the way that you might think. Where before he was globally known as the best individual player in the world, he is now known for his innate ability to get the best out of his teammates, encourage them to play their game and as a result play well as a team and not just as supporting players around one lynchpin individual. This was notable throughout the season as Alejandro Poma, Matt Coppola and Diego Cavanagh all performed extremely well, contributing evenly to the scoreline from the field (the top team scorer being Diego Cavanagh with 29 field goals and 47 penalty goals) while Cambiaso directed operations from the number 4 position.
As a strong 4 player team they had the upper hand over most teams, an advantage they exploited by stretching their opposition's defence. Poma skillfully drew defense upfield, not only thinning their defensive power but also putting him in a great position to receive passes up from his teammates, while Matt Coppola worked hard at number 2 switching effortlessly between attack and defense and quick with the explosive runs. Diego Cavanagh had a very strong season, taking the heay lifting off Cambiaso in midfield both in attack, running the ball and in defence as the master of the steal, leaving the 10 goaler free to create plays, either running himself or using Cavanagh well.
Gauntlet Stats:
CV Whitney Cup - Winners:
Games: 4 (3 wins, 1 loss)
Field Goals: 31/62 - 50% accuracy
Penalties: 16/ 20 - 80% accuracy
Throw Ins: 46
USPA Gold Cup - Quarter Finalists:
Games: 3 (2 wins, 1 loss)
Field Goals: 15/38 - 34% accuracy
Penalties: 18/ 23 - 78.3% accuracy
Throw Ins: 35
US Open Polo Championship - Winners:
Games: 6 (6 wins)
Field Goals: 39/96 - 40% accuracy
Penalties: 29/ 37 - 78.4% accuracy
Throw Ins: 67
Check out this highlights video showcasing some examples of the team's highlights from their time playing in the USA this year in areas including: