Open de France Barnes Quarter-Finals Deliver Dramatic Polo Action
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
The quarter-finals of the Open de France Barnes at Chantilly produced a series of closely contested matches, with three games decided by a single goal and two requiring extra time.
The defending champions also faced a major challenge after falling three goals behind before completing a remarkable comeback.
The dramatic quarter-final stage eventually saw Akasha, Jolly Roger, Kazak and Octogone secure places in the semi-finals.
One of the most unusual moments came during the Essso-Kazak match, when a rarely used rule was applied after the first extra chukker ended without a goal.
Akasha Edge Talandracas in Extra Time
Akasha and Talandracas produced one of the closest matches of the quarter-final stage.
Neither side managed to establish a lead of more than one goal during the first five chukkers, with the score tied at 9-9 heading into the final period.
Akasha then appeared to take control after moving two goals ahead at 11-9. Talandracas responded strongly, with Hugues Carmignac reducing the deficit before Juan Martín Zubia scored the equaliser to make it 11-11.
The match went into extra time, where Akasha earned a 60-yard penalty. Tommy Beresford converted the opportunity to score the golden goal and complete an 12-11 victory.
Beresford finished the match with eight goals.
Jolly Roger Knock Out Unbeaten Clinova
Jolly Roger also secured a narrow victory after defeating previously unbeaten Clinova 8-7.
The two teams remained level through much of the contest, with scores of 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 reflecting the closely fought nature of the game.
Jolly Roger were forced to make a change in the third chukker after Nicolas Tomasevich was struck by the ball. Juan Cruz Araya replaced him, but the team continued to compete effectively against Clinova.
The decisive moment came in the final chukker when Jolly Roger moved ahead 8-7.
Manuel Plaza de Ayala was the standout performer, scoring seven of Jolly Roger’s eight goals. The 35-year-old Argentine has previously competed at the Open de France and was also part of the Argentine national team last year.
The victory ended Clinova’s unbeaten run and sent Niclas Johansson’s Jolly Roger team into the semi-finals.
Kazak Win After Extra-Time Drama
The match between Essso and Kazak produced perhaps the most unusual finish of the quarter-finals.
The teams were tied 6-6 after five chukkers, but neither side could score during the first extra chukker.
Essso had opportunities to finish the contest, including a chance for Guillermo “Sapo” Caset, while Pedro Chavanne saw an attempt hit the post.
With the first extra chukker ending scoreless, the tournament’s rarely used goal-widening rule came into effect.
For the second extra chukker, the width of the goals was increased from 7 metres to 14 metres, creating a unique situation at Chantilly.
Pedro Chavanne eventually scored the decisive goal, giving Kazak a 7-6 victory.
Chavanne and 16-year-old Chilean Leon Donoso once again demonstrated their potential, while Sébastien Aguettant and Ian Gallienne also made important defensive contributions for their respective teams.
Octogone Complete Comeback Against Sainte-Mesme
Defending champions Octogone were pushed to their limits by Sainte-Mesme in the final quarter-final.
Sainte-Mesme took advantage of a strong spell to establish an 8-5 lead in the fourth chukker. Robert Strom scored their eighth goal with an impressive under-the-neck shot.
Fermín MacDonough was another key performer for Sainte-Mesme, contributing five goals, while Dante Castagnola also played an important role in keeping the defending champions under pressure.
Octogone responded with a determined comeback. Hazel Jackson reduced the deficit to 8-6 before Pelón Stirling, Louis Hine and Jackson combined effectively to turn the momentum in their team’s favour.
Captain Alexis Morange then scored to put Octogone ahead.
Stirling later produced another important moment, racing from inside his own half before scoring from distance to make it 10-8 with around two and a half minutes remaining.
Sainte-Mesme could not recover, allowing Octogone to remain unbeaten and progress to the final four.
Open de France Barnes Semi-Finals
The semi-finals will take place on Thursday, September 17.
The fixtures are:
- Jolly Roger King of Polo (Sweden) vs Kazak (France)
- Akasha (France) vs Octogone (Switzerland)
With all four teams having overcome difficult quarter-final challenges, the semi-finals are set to provide another competitive stage in the Open de France Barnes.
