Team Brioni win the 23rd Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow … in extra time …

The atmosphere was straight out of a picture book with blue skies and sunshine turning the lake of St. Moritz against the alpine backdrop into a fairytale landscape. With cheers erupting from the sold-out grandstands filled with 10,000 spectators, you could have been forgiven for thinking you were at a football match.

The Cartier team with Swiss captain Adriano Agosti started focussed and set off at a blistering pace. Their first attack on the Brioni goal defended by the two young patrons Guy Schwarzenbach (CH/AU hcp 1) and Charlie Hanbury (UK, hcp 2) established a 1:0 lead. Then goal scorer Pelon Sterling (URG, hcp 7) wasted no time in doubling his tally. Cartier thus appeared to have the game totally under control when Sterling completed his hat trick in the 2nd chukka – although Eduardo Novillo Astrada (ARG, hcp 9), had managed to narrow the gap to one. Spectating fans were having their own battle meanwhile, cheering on their teams – with the Brioni supporters going wild in the 3rd chukka when Guy Schwarzenbach scored a vital goal to narrow the deficit to 2:3.

The game continued at a sensational level – the speed and excitement remaining undiminished. The Final was undoubtedly the match of the tournament, peaking when Novillo Astrada thwarted the Cartier team’s title defence with a goal just before the end of regular time to make the score 3:3. So it was the extra and 5th chukka to decide the outcome. Brioni’s two 9 goalers, Novillo Astrada and Milo Fernandez Araujo, launched into attack and through one of their forays deep into Cartier’s territory brought about the deciding golden goal – by Eduardo Novillo Astrada. Brioni won the much-coveted Cartier Trophy for the 1st time and to the delight of their fans. The Team and Novillo Astrada won the Best Player award, with Tia the Best Playing Pony (Black Bears stables) ridden by Astrada, and Charlie Hanbury Best Amateur.

Cartier vs Brioni – result 3:4 after overtime (2:1, 1:0, 0:1, 0:1, 0:1).
Brioni: Hanbury, Novillo Astrada, ARG (3 goals), Araujo, ARG, Schwarzenbach, AUS/CH (1 goal)
Cartier: Agosti, CH, Sterling UY (3 goals), Doinoso, CL, Brane, ARG.
Best players : Novillo Astrada, Sterling and Araujo.

Team Bank Julius Baer Finally got their act together for Consolation Final:

Still without a win and going into the match clear underdogs, the Bank Julius Bar team sprung a minor surprise in the AMG Cup against the much-fancied Maybach team of Swiss patron Philip Maeder, playing better than at any other time in this year’s Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow.

In an exciting, high-class match for 3rd and 4th places, the Julius Bar team consisting of George Hanbury (UK), Jack Baillieu (AUS), Marcos Di Paola (ARG) and Andrew Hine (UK) finally managed to overcome Maybach 5:4.

Team Maybach’s most outstanding player once again was six-goaler Nicolas Espain (ARG), and it was he who took the accolade of MVP. Philipp Maeder, Espain and Agustin Garcia who were all appearing on snow for the first time in St. Moritz, were worthy players and enriched this high-goal WPT Event.

Maybach vs Bank Julius Bar result : 4:5 (0:2, 1:0, 1:1, 2:2)
Maybach: Maeder, CH, Grossi, ARG (1 goal), Espain, ARG (2 goals), Jauretche, ARG (1 goal).
Bank Julius Baer : G. Hanbury, UK, Baillieu, AU (2 goals) Di Paola, ARG (2 goals), Hine, UK (1 goal).
Best players : Di Paola, Espain.

27th January – 3rd Qualifying round : Brioni vs Bank Julius Bar :

It was an overcast day and bitterly cold but still, thousands of spectators were keen to witness the 3rd and last of the qualifying rounds, and who and which team would make it to the final. Team Brioni got off to a dream start in the Das Magazin Tropy match, when 9 goaler Fernandez Araujo scored from the first attack on the opposing goal. The game continued balanced in the 3rd and 4th chukkas although the advantage was clearly with the team (Brioni) led by the two amateurs Charlie Hanbury (UK, hcp 2) and Guy Schwarzenbach (CH/AU, hcp 1) playing with the technically brilliant Araujo and Novillo Astrada (both ARG, hcp 9). Novillo was particularly impressive with one tour de force after another in scoring two superb goals.

While for Team Bank Julius Bar, it was Marcos Di Paola who converted two penalties to ensure that the Brioni team lead did not go too far. However, it was the inspired Charlie Hanbury who finally sealed the fate of the Julius Bar team (captained by Tony Pidgley) and who was feverishly cheered on by the spectators as he scored a much applauded goal to make the final score 4:2 to Brioni. With a favourable goal difference, Brioni was thus close to qualifying for the final even before the start of the next game.

Brioni vs Bank Julius Bar result : 4:2 (1:0, 0:0, 2:2, 1:0)
Brioni : Hanbury, UK (1 goal), Novillo Astrada, ARG (2 goals), Araujo, ARG (1 goal) Schwarzenbach, AUS.CH.
Bank Julius Bar : Pidgley, UK, Baillieu, AU, Di Paola, ARG (2 goals) Hine, UK.
Best players : Novillo Astrada, Araujo and Di Paola.

Cartier v Maybach : It could have hung on a pretty complex calculation, deciding which of three possible teams was going to make it to the final by virtue of their better goal difference. The game for the Nespresso Trophy was fast and competitive from the start ending at the 1st chukka 2:2 (although Maybach would have been awarded an extra half goal due to handicap). Goals from J J Brane (ARG, hcp 8) and Jose Donoso (Chile, hcp 7) in the 2nd chukka brought a turning point, and from then on Team Cartier, captained by Adriano Agosti, never relinquished control of the match again. However, in this match, the difference between the two teams lay in the mature, fluid tactics of the Cartier team, while the Maybach team’s two 6 goalers – Nicolas Espain and Flaco Garcia Grossi – won lots of admirers with their attractive style of play ! However, it was Agosti who sealed Cartier team’s entry into the final, with a well-prepared goal and a final score of 6: 4 ½.

Cartier vs Maybach result : 6: 4 ½ (2:2, 3:1, 0:0, 1:1)
Cartier: Agosti, CH (1 goal), Sterling UY (2 goals), Donos, CL (1 goal) Brane, ARG (2 goals).
Maybach: Maeder, CH, Grossi, ARG, Espain, ARG (3 goals) Jauretche, ARG (1 goal).

26th January – 2nd Qualifying round : Maybach vs Brioni

The 2nd day attracted around 3,000 spectators onto the surface of the frozen lake of St. Moritz and they enjoyed good polo – bathed in sunshine and at –12 degrees. It all started very well for Swiss Philipp Maeder’s men, with the Maybach team playing well and Agustin Garcia Grossi shot the team into the lead. But then two penalties converted by 9 goaler Eduardo Novillo Astrada for the Brioni team, left the Maeder team (playing for the 1st time on snow) looking more and more unsure of themselves as the game progressed. After the point when things were even at 2:2, Brioni then took the initiative, the two amateurs Hanbury and Schwarzenbach, emulating their team’s top players – Astrada and Araujo – and putting up an impressive performance.

Maybach vs Brioni result 3:7 (1:1, 1:2, 1:2, 0:2)
Maybach : Maeder, CH, Grossi, ARG (2 goals), Espain, ARG (1 goal), Jauretche, ARG.
Brioni : Hanbury, UK (1 goal) Novillo Astrada, ARG (3 goals) Araujo, ARG (3 goals), Schwarzenbach, AUS/CH.
Best players : Novillo Astrada, Grossi, Hanbury.

Cartier vs Bank Julius Bar : Team Cartier and Swiss patron Adriano Agosti made a concentrated start in the 1st chukka of the Swiss Air Lines Trophy and romped to a 2:0 lead. After this lightning start, the team maintained the high pace and gave Tony Pidgley’s Bank Julius Bar Team little opportunity to hit back. In the two middle chukkas, the Bar team showed a marked improvement – particularly the Argentine 8 goaler Marcos Di Paola and Australian Jack Baillieu (hcp 7) who helped their team get back in the game. In the final chukka the match and speed at which it was played, was world-class and it was finally decided in Cartier’s favour by two superb goals from Argentinean Juan Jose Brane (hcp8), the last just 30 seconds before the final bell.

Cartier vs Bank Julius Bar result : 5:4 (2:0), 0:1, 0:2, 3:1)
Cartier : Agosti, CH, Sterling UY (1 goal) Donoso, CL (2 goals), Brane, ARG (2 goals).
Bank Julius Bar : Pidgley, UK, Baillieu, AU, (1 goal), Di Paola, ARG (3 goals), Hine, UK.
Best players : Di Paola, Brane, Sterling.

25th January – 1st Qualifying round : Maybach vs Bank Julius Bar

There was a great start for Swiss rookie Philipp Maeder in the opening match between Maybach and Bank Julius Bar – for the Dr. Berry Memorial Trophy – and they put up an assured performance. Playing for Maybach, he had the unenviable task of challenging the Bank Julius Bar team, who have experience on this surface and with their captain Tony Pidgley. However, the surprise of the day were the two 6 goalers – Nicolas Espain and Agustin Garcia Grossi – who both played on snow as it was the most natural element in the world.

Maybach vs Bank Julius Bar result : 6 ½ : 3 (1:1, 1:2, 3:0, 1:0)
Maybach : Maider, CH, Grossi, ARG (1 goal) Espain, ARG (4 goals), Jauretche, ARG (1 goal)
Bank Julius Bar : Pidgley UK, Baillieu, AU (1 goal), Di Paola ARG (2 goals), Hine, UK.
Best players : Espain, Di Paola.

Cartier vs Brioni : In the Niarchos Trophy, it was clear that the very well-prepared Cartier team was up against a slightly unsure Brioni line-up. The serious preparations for which Swiss patron Agosti is renowned for, paid off. The Cartier team, with a brilliant Juan Jose Brane (ARG, hcp 8) in defence and the effervescent Uruguayan Pelon Stirling (hcp 7) soon had the fast-paced and very open game under control. The goal that narrowed the gap to one for Brioni, came too late to prevent Cartier celebrating their victory.