The last qualification matches of the Julius Baer Gold Cup were played between Habtoor and Ghantoot, with the former claiming an 11-7 win.
The afternoon opened with a game between Zedan and Dubai Wolves. Amr Zedan’s team out played their opponents from the start, and it was a one-sided affair until the end, when Zedan took the 10-3 win.
Habtoor Polo took control of the second game with a flurry of goals from Facundo Sola during the first two chukkas. This gave the team a 4-goal advantage by halftime. Ghantoot struggled to catch up, and by the end of the fourth chukka the score was 10-4 in favour of Habtoor. Ghantoot was unable to recover, in spite of successive goals from Ali Al Merri and Juan Gris Zavaleta, and the match ended at 11-7. The victory gave Habtoor a place in the semifinals alongside UAE.
ZEDAN 10-3 WOLVES
Zedan: Santiago Laborde 6 (4 goals), Amr Zedan 0, Martin Gandara 5 (1), Rauli Laplacette 7 (5). Total: 18.
Dubai Wolves: Marcos Araya 7 (1 goal), Manuel Crespo 7 (3), Khalid Bin Drai 1, Justo Cuitiño 3. Total: 18.
Score Zedan: 3-0, 5-0, 6-1, 9-1, 10-3.
HABTOOR 11-7 GHANTOOT
Habtoor: Tommy Beresford 6 (1 goal), Facundo Sola 9 (9), Hugo Lewis 3 (1), Mohammed Al Habtoor 0. Total: 18.
Ghantoot: Juan Gris Zavaleta 8 (4), Cesar Crespo 4, Ali Al Merri 1 (1), Martin Donovan 5 (2). Total: 18.
Score Habtoor: 1-2, 5-2, 7-3, 10-4, 11-7.
The Julius Baer Gold Cup will continue on Friday:
Mini-Quarterfinals:
2pm: Abu Dhabi vs Zedan
4pm: Ghantoot Polo vs Desert Palm
THE DUBAI GOLD CUP SERIES IS STREAMED LIVE ON POLOLINE TV HERE.
Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series:
-Silver Cup (18-goal): January 25 – February 8.
-Polo Masters Cup (10-goal): February 10-15.
-Julius Baer Gold Cup (18-goal): February 18 – March 8.
-Dubai Challenge Cup (18-goal): March 15-30.
-Dubai Cup (8-goal): April 2-12.
JULIUS BAER GOLD CUP: Fixture & Teams
PICTURE GALLERIES:
