La Dolfina overcame the favorite Ellerstina team 16-15 to win the 114th Campeonata Argentino Abierto de Polo Movistar, the historic Argentine Open, on Saturday, December 8. Eight teams vied for the chance to hoist the world’s most prestigious polo tournament in the most exciting polo venue, the hallowed grounds of Palermo. The two highest-handicapped teams in the tournament made it to the final, which is played on the flat.Over the last three years in Argentina, there has been just one sure thing. No matter how the high-goal Open season went, La Dolfina Jaeger LeCoultre would be a top contender at Palermo. Despite Adolfo Cambiaso’s independence and non-classical polo style, the team seems to own the Argentine Open these days.

For the team from Cañuelas, everything matters. For each of the last three years La Dolfina has hoisted the most valuable polo trophy in the whole world. As Cambiaso, arguably the best player in the world, says: “I don’t know why we win, but we did it. We are a real team. A team [of four grown men] who know perfectly how to play—and win—in Palermo.”

Betting is forbidden in Argentinean polo, but if it were legal, Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra would have been the 3-1 favorites to win the 114th Movistar Argentine Open. The team of cousins, the Pieres brothers and Mac Donough brothers, began the season sweeping the Tortugas and Hurlingham opens. On the way to the final, the team ousted La Dolfina 17-13 in the semifinal of the Tortugas Open and 15-12 in the final of the Hurlingham Open. Almost anyone would believe they would finish the season with a three-peat by winning the Argentine Open and taking the sport’s most important triple crown—something they barely lost in 2005 when La Dolfina took the Argentine Open away from them.

The men in black showed they were lethal in Palermo’s Open. At the suggestion of the clever Memo Gracida, who helped coach them, they rearranged their positions on the playing field. Pablo Mac Donough played No. 1, a position formerly held by Facundo Pieres. Gonzalito Pieres moved to the No. 2 spot, giving up the No. 3 shirt to younger brother Facundo Pieres, while Matías Mac Donough was the only player to keep his usual place at Back. The change improved Ellerstina’s performance as it blasted an inexperienced Santa María de Lobos Casablanca 21 to 10, then easily defeated La Aguada Arelauquen 18 to 11. Ellerstina finished with a convincing 16-to- 11 routing of the Indios Chapaleufú II Culú Culú team.

La Dolfina’s road to the final wasn’t quite as easy. The team experienced various ups and downs in Cambiaso’s game during the season, including an uncomfortable pain in his left adductor muscle. Still, the team went on to defeat the multinational Alegría Park Hyatt with Australian Jack Baillieu, Canadian Fred Mannix Jr., Argentinean Francisco Bensadón and Englishman Luke Tomlinson, 14 to 7. In the next game, La Dolfina came from behind to edge the Merloses’ El Paraíso team 15-14. Finally, a convincing 18-15 win over Chapa Uno Toyota, the last year the Heguy brothers will field a team together, advanced La Dolfina to the final match.

The final created an unbelievable buzz. The 17,000-seat stadium at Palermo’s field No. 1, known as the Cathedral, was full. High-level politicians, including French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and Mauricio Macri, the mayor of Buenos Aires, were in attendance. Also attending were Hollywood actor Robert Duvall; and professional athletes, including soccer star Diego Maradona and tennis player David Nalbandian.

Artwork was on display throughout the grounds, and vendors were set up offering all things polo and then some, mixed with team tents. The grounds were neat and trim and everything was perfect for a great day of exciting polo but for the weather. With gray skies, the match began under a light drizzle. La Dolfina got off to a strong start, going up by two goals, 4-2, in the second chukker. Interestingly enough, La Dolfina’s offensive drives came not from Adolfo Cambiaso, as one would expect, but by Mariano Aguerre. Aguerre scored the first two goals, showing some magical stick work and setting the tempo.

The rain stopped and the sun began peeking through the clouds as Ellerstina fought its way back in the third chukker. A penalty conversion by Cambiaso gave La Dolfina the 5-to-2 edge. But it seemed to inspire Facundo Pieres, who put away the next three goals, all penalty conversions, to tie the match.

In the fourth chukker, Aguerre and Lucas Monteverde combined for another three goals to go up 8 to 5, a margin La Dolfina managed to maintain for the next two chukkers. Facundo Pieres battled back in the seventh, helping Ellerstina to outscore La Dolfina 4 to 1 to equalize the match again, 14 all.

The eighth and final period of regulation play promised a lot of tension and excitement. Within a minute Cambiaso had broken the tie, but Facundo wasted no time in tying the score at 15. With just two minutes remaining in the chukker, Cambiaso had his chance to take the game with a penalty conversion, but the ball went wide of the goal. The teams battled for control as time slipped away, but the final bell sounded with the teams on equal footing. So, for the third year in a row, against Ellerstina in 2005 and La Aguada in 2006, the game would be decided in suddendeath overtime.

Ellerstina had two runs to goal but came up short each time. Suddenly La Dolfina had its chance. Lucas Monteverde took advantage of a free ball and headed to goal. With Ellerstina in desperate pursuit, Monteverde scored after a long run. Later Monteverde said: “I didn’t see anything but the ball and the goal. I just wanted to tip in the ball and celebrate.”

It was a bitter ending for Matías Mac Donough, who said goodbye to his dreams of an Argentine Open championship. He is relinquishing his spot on the Ellerstina team to Juan Martín Nero. “It’s all over for me,” he said. “I’m [leaving] Ellerstina right now. I hope my brother and cousins can get the trophy next year playing together with Juan Martín Nero.”

Several days after winning the Argentine Open, La Dolfina received the news that Monteverde would be raised to 10 goals, making La Dolfina a full 40-goal team. Only three other teams have held a 40-goal rating: Coronel Suárez in 1974, La Espadaña in 1988 and Indios Chapaleufú I in 1992.