Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
Sheikha Maitha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Habtoor-led UAE Polo team secured sport in the semi-finals of the Gold Cup 2022.
Leading from the front, Sheikha Maitha scored the first goal in the opener chukker their match against AM Polo at Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club.
The following chukkers saw an exchange of goals from both teams and, UAE Polo was leading by the end of the third.
AM Polo levelled the game during the penultimate chukker with scores tied at 9 goals. The last chukker saw Tommy Beresford and Lucas Monteverde Jr. secure a 2-goal lead and ended the game with a win for UAE Polo team.
The fight for second place in the Zone B line-up was between Dubai Wolves by CAFU and Abu Dhabi Polo team. Alfredo Cappella took the lead for the Wolves with three goals. The patron of their opponent — Faris Al Yabhouni — had displayed critical defensive play in the succeeding chukkers. The scores were close until halftime with Abu Dhabi Polo carving a 2-goal lead by the end of the fourth.
The team took off during the fifth chukker and had a 3-goal lead with less than two minutes left on the clock. The Wolves managed to tie the game right at the end of the buzzer resulting in a race for the golden goal. Habtoor Al Habtoor, patron of the Dubai Wolves by CAFU, intercepted the ball away from the opponent's goal post and Alfredo Cappella launched a long shot for Carlos Ulloa, who, in spite of Jero's attempts to steal the ball, nailed the win for the pack.