Team Maserati prevails

THE TOP-RANKED player powered  his team to the top, as expected.

Miguel Diaz, a highly touted Argentinian pro, blasted home four goals as Team Maserati overpowered Team Jaguar, 10-6, to rule the high-goal match of the Globalport 900 International Sultan Cup last Sunday at the polo field of Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa.

A second-time visitor in the country, Diaz capped his game-long brilliance with back-to-back goals just minutes apart early in the fourth chukker that gave Team Maserati a commanding 8-3 advantage.

“We played as one team,” said Diaz, a four-goal player. “We made our team plays, but every single goal was difficult.”

Diaz’s local teammates also came through with Globalport owner Mikee Romero, the patron and prime mover of the event, knocking in three goals and Anthony Garcia adding two in the five-chukker contest.

“The level of physicality was very high,” said Romero. “It was really all teamwork.”

Maserati started strong with Romero breaking the ice before firing another in a three-goal binge that lifted the team to a 6-1 lead in the third chukker.

Thai player Tal Srivaddhanaprabha also scored as Maserati overwhelmed the Jaguar crew of Mexican-American Isidro Olivas, Argentinian Santi Galland, Adrian Garcia and Santi Juban.

Earlier, Jun Eusebio and son Jam powered Team Blue to a win and a draw to top the round-robin low-goal match.

Jun knocked in three goals and Jam added a couple to lift Team Blue past Team Red, 6-2, while Jun scored another in Blue’s 1-1 draw versus Team White.

Jim Donovan, Eduardo Lopez and the debuting Milka Romero, the daughter of Mikee Romero, rounded out the Team Blue roster.

Red’s Butch Albert, Freddie and Sonny Borromeo and Lars Lofgren secured second place after  a 2-1 triumph over White’s Kim Lofgren, Daryl Matti, Ige Camara and Jun Juban.

“This is for the good of the sport, especially for the new players,” Romero said of the tournament also backed by Land Rover, Royale Salute, Medical City and Gatorade. “We gathered an international cast of players. But what makes the event special is the fact that it provided a venue for newcomers to show their wares.”