Apparently the players scheduled to come from the Dominican Republic had difficulty getting their visas in time for the playoffs, so they were unable to make it. Evidently, because of commitments to local sponsors, organizers put a replacement team on the field with 1-goal Giorgio Brignone, Team USA coach 6-goaler Robert Gonzalez, and 3-goalers Miguel Pareda and Luis Olazabal to round out the tournament.

Team USA included 4-goaler Steve Orthwein Jr., 4-goaler Chris Nevins, 3- goaler Joseph Stuart, 3-goaler Nick Cifuni, 4-goal Miguel Torres and 2-goal Santiago Torres. Gonzalez coached the team and 9- goal Owen Rinehart served as an advisor. For the past several months a film crew working on a documentary about the journey to the World Cup has followed the team.

The FIP World championship is played at the 10- to 14-goal level to get the most participation from the largest number of countries as possible. Players’ handicaps cannot exceed 5 goals. Teams can list a maximum of 10 players and any of those players can compete during the event, but countries are expected to field the best team possible. Players cannot be changed during the game except in the case of injury.

Players must hold a valid passport issued by the country they represent. The team held tryouts in the fall of 2006. Once the team was chosen, the players practiced together in Florida and participated in the April 14-goal league at Outback Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, to get the team up to speed before the playoffs.

Team USA traveled to Mexico for the tournament, which began on April 27. On the first day, the teams drew to determine who would practice against whom and what horses they would be assigned from the horse pools. A tournament committee general meeting was also conducted with all coaches and players in attendance.

Practice games were played the following afternoon with Canada taking on the Dominican Republic. Canada had the upper hand throughout the game and easily took the Dominicans 13-3. Afterward USA took on Guatemala. Guatemala proved to be a worthy adversary, with USA narrowly defeating the team 6-5. According to Michele Everett, producer and creator of the documentary, “At the beginning of this tourney, a lot of people underestimated the Guatemalan team. However, they have proven to be a tough team for sure.”

The official games got underway with USA up against the Dominican Republic. Team USA fielded Orthwein, Nevins and the Torres brothers. In the end Team USA took the 11-9 win. Later that day Canada overcame Guatemala 12 to 5.5. Guatemala suffered a blow in the tournament when one of its highest-rated and most experienced players, Alfredo Aycinena, fell during the match and was knocked unconscious. He was brought to the hospital and replaced in the match. Later, still suffering from double vision, he decided to return home to Guatemala for further medical attention.

Monday and Tuesday the teams got to rest, spending time enjoying the beautiful beaches and fishing. The teams were back in action on Wednesday, when Canada dominated the Dominicans 14-3.

Team USA switched out the Torres brothers for Joseph Stuart and Nick Cifuni in the following game against Guatemala. Despite Guatemala’s loss of Aycinena, the Guatemalans kept up the pressure and USA only narrowly defeated them 6 to 5.5. The results of the two matches meant USA would meet up against Canada in the final. From early on USA captain Steve Orthwein expected Canada to be the Americans’ strongest opponent in the playoffs.

Canada was led by 5-goalers Brandon Phillips and Marcelo Abbiati. Abbiati is originally from Argentina, but he became a naturalized citizen of Canada less than a year ago. Abbiati enjoyed the venue for the tournament, saying Careyes was one of the “best things I have seen in the world.” He also was impressed with the horses available to the teams. “They seem very good. With a lot of 20 horses it is normal some are better than others, but [overall] they are marvelous.”

The teams rested up for the next two days. Coach Gonzalez met Team USA the day before the final to go over horses, players and positions. Both teams got an opportunity to stick and ball before Gonzalez met with the team one last time to go over strategy and preparations for the next day’s match, which they knew would be difficult.

In the final, USA played well, but Canada proved too difficult to overcome, winning 7- 4 and ending USA’s run for the World Cup. What remains for the USA team members is their memories of representing their country in the World Cup and the documentary, Take it to the Boards, due out sometime next summer.

The players from Team USA headed back to the United States in different directions: Orthwein to St. Louis, Missouri; Nevins to Houston, Texas; the Torres brothers to Connecticut; Stuart to Nashville, Tennessee; and Cifuni to Memphis, Tennessee.

With the victory, Team Canada advances to the 8th FIP Polo World Championship, also to be played at Costa Careyes Polo Club in Mexico in April 2008. Canada will go head to head with the winners of the other three zones.

ZONE B

Zone B, covering South America, has not yet been played and a date for the playoff has not yet been determined. The playoffs will be between Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Brazil has already qualified, having won both the 6th and 7th Polo World Championships.

ZONE C

For Zone C, which includes Europe, the playoffs were played April 20-29 at the Santa Maria Polo Club in picturesque Sotogrande, Spain. Teams participating included England, France, Italy, Holland and Spain.

The games began with Spain ousting Holland 17 to 7.5. England, led by 5-goaler Tom Morley, playing great defense and taking advantage of penalty conversions, got off to a great start by first stopping France 9 to 5.5, then slamming Holland 18 to 6.5. One of Morley’s teammates, 3-goaler Nina Vestey, also assisted with great offense. Spain got its second victory, this time 8 to 4.5 over Italy.

The games continued with France defeating Holland 14 to 6.5. The surprise of the tournament was Italy edging England 10 to 9. Italy’s Martín Espain and Juan Ambroggio combined for great ball control and needed goals in Italy’s victory. The loss put England in the position of having to beat Spain, which had gone undefeated thus far, in order to advance. Spain continued its winning streak by topping France 12 to 7.5, while Italy scored a second victory with a 14 to 6.5 win over Holland. Holland was eliminated while Italy would match up against France, and England would take on Spain. The Italian team dominated the French team 8 to 3.5. England would have to win its match to earn a spot in the World Cup next year, while Spain could afford a loss, but not by more than four goals. In the end, England won 9 to 6, qualifying both teams for the championship in Mexico.

ZONE D

Zone D, which includes Africa, Asia and Oceania, had playoffs at the Auckland PoloClub in New Zealand from February 26 through March 6. Teams participating were Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa, but in the end New Zealand and South Africa emerged victorious. For New Zealand, it was a dramatic 7-all draw with archenemy Australia, combined with two previous wins, that gave the Kiwis the championship spot. Both teams played an exciting, fast match in fantastic weather in front of 10,000 spectators. Australia turned up the heat after a disappointing 10-4 loss to South Africa the previous day, to keep pace with the New Zealanders. New Zealand’s captain, Craig Wilson, suffered a nasty cut on his head after coming in contact with an opponent’s mallet, which only seemed to spur him on.

New Zealand started off walking over India 13 to 7, while Australia squeaked past Pakistan 7 to 6. South Africa took its first victory, defeating Pakistan 10 to 7, while India bounced back with victories over Australia 7 to 6 and over Pakistan 13 to 11. India’s captain, Angad Kalaan, scored six of seven goals against Australia and with teammate Manupal Godara proved a strong combination for the wins. South Africa then narrowly defeated New Zealand 9 to 8.

New Zealand got the best of Pakistan 13 to 6, while South Africa hammered India 14 to 7. South Africa was led by the young Nachi du Plessis, exhibiting amazing stick work and horsemanship on the way to the win, scoring five goals.

In the game against Pakistan, New Zealand’s Back, Tom Hunt, took a nasty fall with his horse when he was fouled by Pakistan’s No. 2 Raja Samiullah. Hunt landed on his head, knocking him unconscious. He was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment. Because of the handicaps, New Zealand’s Robert Watson sat out, while two new players, David Miller and Lochie Hunter, took to the field. For the foul, Samiullah was ejected for the remainder of the chukker and New Zealand received a penalty goal. New Zealand’s Wilson added eight goals to that for the win, which kept the team in contention to qualify.

While USA can only look forward to the 2011 FIP Polo World Championships, the eight qualifying teams will spend the year preparing, all hoping to bring home the world title in 2008. Joining the defending champion, Brazil, and the host country’s Mexican team will be Canada, Spain, England, South Africa, New Zealand and the winner of Zone B. It is sure to be a competitive tournament pitting several
strong teams against each other.