Zedan and Bin Drai have both qualified for the final of the McLaren Cup, the first tournament of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2018, after winning their semifinal matches on Wednesday afternoon at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club. In an exciting double day of action, Zedan defeated Mahra by 10 goals to 6.5, while Bin Drai narrowly beat Wolves by 7.5 goals to 7.
Ten-goaler superstar Pablo Mac Donough once again made the difference after a superb third chukka that turned the game in favor of Zedan. After two even chukkas, Mac Donough entered the third on his mare Paloma: a perfect duo that never fails. Zedan took control of the game and achieved a three goal advantage that was decisive.
Mahra fought until the very end, but Zedan’s victory was never threatened, and they secured a deserved place in the McLaren Cup final.
Top Scorer of the match: Pablo Mac Donough: 6 goals.
Zedan: Amr Zedan 0, Gato Gándara 5, Tomás Panelo 3 (4 goals), Pablo Mac Donough 10 (6). Total: 18.
Mahra: Rashid Al Habtoor 0, Benjamín Urquiza 5 (2 goals), Isidro Strada 6 (2), Jero Del Carril 6 (2). Total: 18.
Score Zedan: 2-2.5, 4-3.5, 7-3.5, 8-4.5, 10-6.5.
The second semifinal of the day saw two evenly matched teams battle it out, and the final result highlights how tight the game was. A half goal difference in favor of Bin Drai was vital for the final victory, in which patron Sunil Bin Drai replaced the injured Rashid Bin Drai. Both team fought hard throughout the five chukkas, but Bin Drai managed to gain the edge and qualify for the McLaren Cup.
Top Scorers of the match: Raúl Laplacette and Manuel Crespo, 4 goals.
Bin Drai: Khalid Bin Drai 0, Andrés Laplacette 4 (3), Matías Torres Zavaleta 7 (Reemplazado por Matías Benoit), Raúl Laplacette 6 (4). Total: 18.
Wolves: Habtoor Al Habtoor 1, Matías Diego González 2, Ezequiel Martínez Ferrario 8 (3), Manuel Crespo 7 (4). Total: 18.
Score Bin Drai: 2.5-1, 4.5-2, 4.5-4, 6.5-5, 7.5-7.
The finals of the McLaren Cup will be held on Friday, February 9th, at Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club:
1:30pm, Hildon Cup Final: Habtoor vs UAE
4pm, McLaren Silver Cup: Zedan vs Bin Drai