It was a double-action day at the Bentley Semifinals of the Standard Chartered Gold Cup 2020 tournament. Four teams competed at the grounds of Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club that resulted to a win for Habtoor Polo and Abu Dhabi Polo teams.
Habtoor Polo demonstrated a strong start until halftime while maintaining a two-goal advantage. Bangash Polo was able to close in on Habtoor by the end of the fourth chukker with goals from its patron – Haider Bangash and Frederico Potobsky created a tie early on the final chukker. Habtoor Polo matched this with two goals, and Facundo Sola’s 10th goal sealed the for Habtoor Polo team.
The second match opened with a goal from Juan Zubiaurre that was followed by a score from Habtoor Al Habtoor, patron of the Dubai Wolves team. The next chukker saw the Wolves took off and secured a three-goal advantage over Abu Dhabi Polo team. The match took an exciting turn when Martin Donovan delivered three goals in the next two chukkers. Alfredo Cappella started the last chukker with a goal. Juan Gris Zavaleta took the lead with a penalty shot, but Cesar Crespo levelled the game.
Tied at 8 goals, both teams raced to gain the lead that resulted in a sixth chukker. The strike for the golden goal was taken by Cappella within the first 10 seconds, and Abu Dhabi Polo claimed victory at 9 goals to 8.
Match Progression: 2 – 1 | 5 – 3 | 6 – 4 | 7 – 6 | 10 – 8
Top scorer: Facundo Sola, Habtoor Polo, 6 goals
Match Progression: 0 – 2 | 3 – 6 | 4 – 6 | 6 – 7 | 8 – 8 | 8 – 9
Top scorer: Martin Donovan, Abu Dhabi Polo, 4 goals
www.alhabtoorpoloresortandclub.com
© Thomas Wirth
