Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-04
DAZZLING SET is EXPECTED
OF YANKEES AND BRITONS
Resume of Factors That Make for Victory in Coming
International Match Fails to Indicate Winner.
Although Americans Are Favored.

their eye, arm and wrist gave to the
ball. Long range and accuracy of di.
rection are the fruits OF perfect tim
ing. But long hitting of itself will
not win a game of polo any more
} than long driving by itself will win
a game of golf. The approach shots
and putting in golf are no more vita
than the approach shots and final shot
at goal il polo.
! American Form.
In all these varieties of strokes the
| American team reaches a very high
standard of perfection. Each of the
| American players when at his best
hits the ball with ease and accuracy,
where he wants it to go and may be
relied upon to score high percentage
of his opportunities at goal. But none
of these players except Milburn has
met opposition up to the international
standard. For when they beat Eng
land in 1921 and in 1924 their op-
ponents were not of the timber of
which an international team should
he made. So from the international
standard the American team never
has been tried out.
In 1924 Lewis Lacey in the first
match gave an individual perform
ance, which can only be described as
miraculous and which never will be
forgotten by those who saw it. Could
such performance have been possible
against really great team? Would
not a really great team have smother
ed even Mr.. Lacey. unsupported as
he was by the rest of his side? The
American team has yet to prove itself
a really great side judged by the inter
national standard. And the opportun-
ity to do so should be at hand.
The practice OF the British team
has been so curtailed by the weather
that it has not had chance to find
itself. But all the players have shown
flashes of form, which If sustained in
the international matches should give
them good chance of victory.
The flashes have been fitful. it is
true, but they could not be flukes.
And they give unmistakable evidence
of the skill which is there-if only
1T can be produced and maintained
throughout the eight long periods of
test match.
The side which can force the pace
will win. If the British can do this
they may discover that their staying
power is superior to that of their OPP
ponents. Nerve and staying power
are the reserves of the polo field
which, other things being fairly
equal, win the battle in the last two
trying periods.
Tactics and Team Play.
A great deal Is apt to be made
of the factors of team play and tao
tics. The stronger side always can
impose it's tactics on the weaker. But
in an International match when the
pace really is fast-"all out"-from
start to finish, there is only one tao
tic-"hit out and gallop."
The set-piece of team play dis
solves in the kaleidoscope of speed.
Every player has to be ready to play
every part and to seize every oppor-
tunity to grasp the initiative The
better each player understands the
and limitations of his COM
rades, the better it is, obviously, for
the side as whole. But in a really
fast game formal maneuvers and
orthodox team play go by the board.
The side which appears to have more
players on the field than the other
has achieved the methods of victory
even though the opposing players
may seem to keep more in their
places, according to orthodox theory.
If the British players can rise to
the finest hitting powers of which
they have shown glimpses and use
these powers skillfuliy to force theSI
pace, victory should be within their
grasp.
But whichever side may win and |
whichever side may lose, the one |
universal hope throughout the United |
States and the British Empire. is that |
the international matches of 1927 will |
produce-as they well may-the most |
thrilling clash in the history of the |
game.