The Palermo Open delivered another dramatic chapter as La Zeta Kazak secured an important 16 to 10 win over Los Machitos, a result that not only prolongs the team’s presence in the fight for a place in the Triple Crown, but also reignited the ongoing debate around the tournament’s complicated ranking and relegation system.
Although victory brought hope, the post match atmosphere was marked by Nicolás Pieres’ candid and heated criticism, a reaction that reflected how strenuous and confusing the current structure has become for players and organizations alike.
La Zeta was originally conceived as a development project aimed at nurturing the next generation of high goal polo players. Over time, however, the team found balance not only through youth but also through the presence of seasoned veterans whose experience has proven invaluable.
David Stirling, central to the team’s qualification for Palermo, once again showed why he remains one of the sport’s greats. Alongside him, Nicolás Pieres continued to assert himself as the team’s leader, orchestrating play with intelligence and intensity. Together, they kept the team alive in its pursuit of securing a position for the 2026 Argentine Open.
This victory allows La Zeta Kazak to maintain, at the very least, the possibility of fighting for a direct berth next season by challenging the winner of the Cámara de Diputados Cup. The triumph also delivered a harsh consequence for Sol de Agosto, which was relegated directly as a result of the day’s outcome.
The standings now generate a scenario filled with tension: if La Dolfina II defeats La Ensenada on Thursday, the classification teams will be forced into a playoff to determine who will move forward. The winner would advance to a promotion match against La Aguada, a team La Zeta already overcame in the qualifying rounds, while the loser would be eliminated from Triple Crown status entirely.
These intricate possibilities highlight the flaws in a ranking format that many within the polo community have criticized for years. Los Machitos, for instance, entered this game completely safe from relegation despite losing all of their matches in the Open. Their status was preserved only because of three earlier victories collected in Hurlingham and Tortugas. In contrast, Sol de Agosto, a team that had managed to beat Los Machitos, found itself demoted. Meanwhile La Zeta, a team that won two matches in Palermo and lost narrowly to UAE, one of the semifinalists, still has to navigate a long and exhausting path to secure its future.
In the midst of these inconsistencies, Pieres did not hide how he felt. He delivered his message with clarity and visible irritation. “I am extremely upset. I tried not to think too much about everything happening around the standings because I wanted to remain focused on this game. But once it was over everything hit me at once,” he explained. “We won four matches in the classification, then won two more here in Palermo, and we still have to play extra games. Today the conditions were harsh, the heat was intense, and we pushed our horses very hard playing at midday. Now we do not even know if our next match will be Sunday or Monday. Someone needs to explain how this system works because I genuinely cannot understand it.”
The match itself evolved with contrasting energies. La Zeta, a team stemming from the Ellerstina organization and representing General Rodríguez, started with confidence and quickly took a 3 to 0 lead. They maintained control and reached a 7 to 4 advantage by the third chukker. That is when Los Machitos reacted and reduced the difference to a single goal by halftime. The momentum seemed to shift, but then Stirling produced one of his trademark bursts of brilliance. He scored three consecutive goals that completely changed the tone of the second half. From that point forward La Zeta managed the rhythm of the match with discipline and determination, while Los Machitos appeared to lack the same competitive urgency.
“It was a very difficult match to play,” said Victorino Ruiz Jorba, reflecting on the performance of Los Machitos. “We came in a bit relaxed, while they approached the game as if it were the final of the season. Even so, the match remained fairly even for long stretches. When we got within one goal it became exciting, but afterward they pulled ahead again. They are a great team, and in my opinion they deserve to remain in the top division.”
Despite failing to collect a single win in Palermo, Los Machitos can still walk away with the certainty that they will return in 2026. “Overall, we played a pretty solid Palermo,” Ruiz Jorba added. “There were a couple of games we could have won. Our group was extremely tough, probably the toughest possible, and thankfully we earned enough points earlier in Tortugas to secure our spot.”
For La Zeta, the presence of young talents like Lorenzo Chavanne and Beltrán Laulhé, who are playing their second season through the qualification system, has been essential for building a well balanced team that competes fiercely against the top organizations of the sport. Their combination of youthful energy and veteran leadership allowed them to establish themselves as one of the more exciting teams of this year’s Open.
“We prepared for this as if it were a championship final,” Pieres explained when discussing the team’s approach. “Everyone responded with focus and commitment. One of the strengths of this group is that we do not depend on one star player. Someone different always steps up in each match. We have a strong rotation, solid team structure, and good horses.”
La Zeta now enters a period of waiting as the next opponents and stages are determined. The team is viewed as a strong candidate to retain its place in the Triple Crown, and Pieres has already affirmed his desire to continue into the 2026 season. For now nothing is certain, but what is clear is that La Zeta has several opportunities still ahead and remains very much alive in the tournament.
Detailed Match Information
• La Zeta Kazak: Lorenzo Chavanne, 7; Beltrán Laulhé, 7; David Stirling, 9; Nicolás Pieres, 8. Total handicap 31.
• Los Machitos, El Refugio: Victorino Ruiz Jorba, 8; Alfredo Bigatti, 8; Diego Cavanagh, 8; Teodoro Lacau, 8. Total handicap 32.
• Scoring progression: 3 to 0, 4 to 2, 7 to 4, 7 to 6, 9 to 6, 11 to 6, 15 to 7, 16 to 10.
• La Zeta Kazak scorers: Chavanne 4, all from penalties, Laulhé 3, Stirling 4, Pieres 5.
• Los Machitos scorers: Ruiz Jorba 5, three from penalties, Bigatti 1, Lacau 3, plus a Penalty 1.
• Umpires: Matías Baibiene and Gonzalo López Vargas.
• Referee: Federico Martelli.
• Venue: Field 2 of the Argentine Polo Grounds.