Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge – Day Three

February 18, 2015 Game Reports 0

Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge – Day Three

 

Cartier Red, Desert Palm, Abu Dhabi and United Arab Emirates are confirmed as the semi-finalists in the 2015 Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge. Although both Tariq Albwardy and Clive Reid’s Cartier Red and Rashid Albwardy and Alan Meeker’s Desert Palm are unbeaten, it is Cartier Red who finish top of the table due to goal difference. They will  now play HH Sheikha Maitha’s UAE team in the first semi-final this Thursday, while Desert Palm face Faris Al Yabhouni’s Abu Dhabi team in the second. 

 

Faris’s team will be hoping that their luck improves in Thursday’s game. In today’s league match they were 4-1 up against Rashid Al Habtoor’s Cartier White team at half-time, but went on to lose the game 8-7. This was the first victory for Cartier White, but their goal difference was too great to propel them into the final four of this 12-goal tournament. 

 

Desert Palm and the UAE Polo Team were next in action on the Hotel Ground at Desert Palm Polo Club. The Sheikha’s side knew they needed a win to guarantee them a place in the final four, but found themselves 6-2 down at the end of the third chukka. Although they rallied in the fourth and had closed the gap to just one goal (6-5) on the final whistle.  Desert Palm though have impressed all week. Much of this team’s success has come from the sticks of two of the youngest players in the tournament – Rashid Albwardy and Tom Brodie – who play with a maturity beyond their years. 

 

Action then moved to the Clubhouse Ground where the unbeaten Cartier Red played Guards. The latter’s patrons, Amr Zedan and HRH Prince Abbas, were eager to register their first win, but did not achieve that today. However they did keep the impressive Cartier Red team in their sights for much of the match, levelling the scores at 5-5 early in the fourth. Despite the best efforts of Guards’ 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough, who produced some great shots to goal, the Reds pulled away in the second half, winning the match 8-6. Everyone in Cartier Red contributed to this victory, with Alan Meeker and Clive Reid playing some impressive polo throughout the four chukkas. In fact it was this consistent team work which helped them to top spot in the league tables.   

 

Cartier White: Rashid Al Habtoor (0); Khalaf Al Habtoor (-1); Joaquin Pittaluga (7); Nacho Gonzalez (6).  

 

Abu Dhabi: Faris Al Yabhouni (0); Nasser Al Shamsi (1); Ernesto Oscar Trotz (4); Alfredo Cappella (7).

 

Desert Palm: Alan Meeker (0); Rashid Albwardy (2); Tom Brodie (2); Diego Cavanagh (8). 

 

UAE Polo Team: Sandra Schneider (-1); HH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum (0); Santiago Stirling (4); Lucas Monteverde (9).

 

Cartier Red: Clive Reid (0); Martin Valent (2); Tariq Albwardy (1); Matias Zavaleta (7). 

 

Guards: HRH Prince Abbas (0); Amr Zedan (0); Pablo Casero (2); Pablo MacDonough (10). 

 

Team Standings after league stages of the tournament 

  • Cartier Red
  • Desert Palm
  • Abu Dhabi
  • UAE Polo Team
  • Cartier White
  • Guards

 

Semi-Finals – Thursday 19th February at Desert Palm

14.30 Cartier Red v UAE Polo Team on the Clubhouse Ground 

15.45 Desert Palm v Abu Dhabi on the Clubhouse Ground