AH&BC Amsterdam – Real Club de Polo

Match report

KO8 AH&BC Amsterdam 2 (R Tigges, V Verga) Real Club de
Polo 1 (M Rey)

Amsterdam produced a backs to the wall defensive performance
to see off a huge challenge from Real Club de Polo de Barcelona to complete the
FINAL4 line-up.
After they built a 2-0 lead, they spent the majority of the
game on the back foot with Laurens Goedegebuure making several important saves
while they were almost caught in the last play when Lucas Vila’s touch hit the
post.
In the early stages, Amsterdam pushed forward more often but
Polo had a knack of creating the bigger chances, forcing Laurens Goedegebuure
into two strong saves in the first ten minutes.
The home club, though, took the lead soon after from a
corner. It was not initially stopped but was worked around the circle to Justin
Reid-Ross on the left and he flung the ball across the face of goal where it
hopped up invitingly for Robert Tigges to touch in.
One became two with a breathtaking counter-attack. Its
origins started at the opposite end with Alex Casasayas deflecting the ball on
to the post. Amsterdam recovered the ball and quickly worked it up the left
hand side to Mirco Pruyser.
He looked up a spotted Valentin Verga arriving at top speed.
The pass was fast and accurate and Verga slid in to guide past Mario Fernandez.
Fernandez was called on to make a couple of big saves to keep Polo’s interest
in the game alive, the pick of them from Sander ’t Hart, while Santi Freixa –
who came into the panel for Kenny Bain – and Salva Piera took yellow cards as
the temperature rose.
Goedegebuure made some more stops for Amsterdam as Polo
attempted an onslaught, winning plenty of corners either side of the three
quarter mark. It eventually paid in the 50th minute when Matias Rey
deflected in a corner to give the Spanish side a big chance.
Polo kept coming and came within centimetres of earning a
draw when Vila deflected onto the post with five seconds left. It stayed out
and Amsterdam held on to reach the semi-finals.