Fly House defeated Las Brisas 14-9 in the opening round of the 2026 East Coast Open at the Greenwich Polo Club on Monday, Aug. 31.

Thousands of spectators turned out for the 20-goal tournament's first match, the Greenwich Sentinel reported. Four teams are competing in this year's East Coast Open, presented by Audi: Fly House, Audi, Las Brisas and IGEA.

Nicolas Diaz Alberdi, a five-goal player for Fly House, earned Most Valuable Player honors. He and his brother Lucas Diaz Alberdi, a six-goal player, are regular crowd favorites at the club.

"It felt great out there today," Nicolas Diaz Alberdi said after the match. "We knew from the start we had to be prepared and once the match started, we just tried to make the pressure work for us and stay focused."

Fly House entered the East Coast Open after clinching the 2026 East Coast Silver Cup title earlier this summer. The team's roster includes Andrew Gundlach, his son Max Gundlach, Diaz Alberdi, Felipe Miguens and Francisco Elizalde. Gloria Gundlach, Max's sister, was in the crowd cheering for her family.

The Audi team includes Christophe Landon, Kris Kampsen, Victorino Ruiz Jorba and Mariano Aguerre, a Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame member who has played at the Greenwich Polo Club for decades. In August, during the East Coast Gold Cup season, Aguerre called the club home. "I've been coming to the Greenwich Polo Club since I was 16 and have the best experience and memories of being here," he told the Greenwich Sentinel.

The East Coast Open was first played in 1978 at Myopia Polo Club in Massachusetts, according to the Greenwich Polo Club's website. The tournament's Perry Trophy dates to 1905. The event has been held at the Greenwich Polo Club since 2005.

What's next

The semi-final is set for Sunday, Sept. 6. The final follows Sunday, Sept. 13. Both matches take place at the Greenwich Polo Club, and details are available at greenwichpoloclub.com.