Westchester Cup returning to English soil after Brits beat US at National Polo Center

WELLINGTON — After England dominated the United States in the second half, the Westchester Cup is returning to English soil via an impressive 12-9 victory Friday at the windswept National Polo Center.

In one of the oldest sports rivalries, England's James Beim, Mark Tomlinson, Max Charlton and Tommy Beresford put on a show of classic textbook polo to defeat the U.S. team of Matt Coppola, Nico Escobar, Jeff Hall and Jared Zenni. Both were 25-goal rated teams.

The 137-year-old event dates back to 1886 with the last match played on U.S. soil in 2019. England has won five of the past six Westchester Cups. The teams have met 20 times with the U.S. winning 12, the last time in 2019.

Beresford, 26, team captain and youngest player on the team making his third Westchester Cup appearance, was named Most Valuable Player. Home-bred Adele, 10, owned and played by Coppola in the first and sixth chukkers, was Best Playing Pony.

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"This is huge," Beresford said. "Being captain for the first time and to win is great playing with such a fun team. We worked really hard this week to get as best organized as we could.

"This is a prestigious event and historical tournament. It's great that the Westchester Cup is happening more now and we are getting that rivalry back up."

One of the keys to the game was England's world-class string of horses, mostly supplied by World Polo League players Marc Ganzi, Melissa Ganzi, Polito Pieres and brothers Barto and Jeta Castagnola.

"A special thanks to them," Beresford said. "It means the world to have this kind of support."

It was Tomlinson's third Westchester Cup win.

"The team we had and the horses we had won through in the end," Tomlinson said. "We were all in our positions, which was the key. We played fast and together. The U.S. has been playing patron polo."

Playing traditional open-style polo, England was quicker on defense and frustrated the U.S. in the second half with huge runs on set plays. After a 6-6 first half, England outscored the U.S., 6-3, in the second half. England held the U.S. scoreless in the fifth chukker while scoring three goals.

"We had a positive mindset," Beresford said. "We just focused on ourselves. We knew that Mark and James had a lot of experience in this polo. We tried to make the most of getting the best horses we could, which I think we did a great job of doing. I think Max was MVP today and my three teammates really brought it home. It was a real team effort."

England, coached by Argentine 10-goaler Hilario Ulloa, got balanced scoring from its lineup. Charlton led with four goals, Beim and Beresford each had three and Tomlinson had two. Zenni led the U.S. with three goals, Coppola and Hall each had two and Escobar added one. The team was also awarded a penalty one.

England converted 9 of 16 shots on goal, shooting 56 percent. The U.S. managed 5 of 13 for 38 percent. The U.S. led in throw-ins, 10-8, but squandered away its scoring opportunities. The U.S. was assessed two yellow cards.

While England played a fast, complete game, the U.S. could never find its rhythm or chemistry despite having the experience as La Elina teammates throughout the Gauntlet Series.

"This is pretty special," said Beim, making his fourth Westchester Cup appearance. "Everything we did worked out well. The game was tough. We understand how to play a high level of polo, which is a bit quicker and less touches. It's nice to have your name among the greats."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: England defeats United States, 12-9, to take the Westchester Cup