Dubai win Cartier Queen’s Cup with penalty shot at the bell
By Herbert Spencer
Rashid Albwardy’s Dubai beat Iñigo Zobel’s Ayala 12-11 to take the Cartier Queen’s Cup Sunday, with 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso converting a penalty after the final bell signalling the end of regulation time.
Cambiaso was on his way to goal when the bell tolled and in that same instant Ayala fouled, giving an extra 30 seconds in the tied match. â€Adolfito†hit the ball between the posts from the 30-yard penalty spot and it was all over.
The penalty win did not detract from what was one of hardest-fought Queen’s Cup finals of recent years. Both teams exhibited fast, open polo with close marking. There were fewer than usual umpires’ whistles and most of the goals were scored from the field.
Dubai and Ayala swapped goals and the first chukka ended 2-2, as they did in the second period that ended 4-4. Dubai dominated the next three chukkas until Ayala equalised at the end of the fifth period, 10-10.
Ayala briefly took the lead with a penalty conversion a minute into the sixth chukka, but Dubai immediately tied the match up 11-11 with a conversion. There were no more goals until Cambiaso hit the winner.
Cambiaso was named most valuable player and the best playing pony prize went to Centimetre, a 10-year old Australian gelding of Ayala’s Gonzalito Pieres.