UAE Polo Team 10 – 9 Jehangiri Polo

GenrosaLeo-Clinova 10 – 9 Ferne Park

Golden goals in extra time decided the winners of today’s Cartier Queen’s Cup games. Incredibly, not only did both of these matches go to seven chukkas but they also finished on the same scoreline – 10-9. The first winners of the day were Sheikha Maitha’s UAE Polo Team, registering their second win in this year’s tournament. This squad was unexpectedly trailing Jehangiri Polo, looking for their first win,  6-2 at the start of the third. This was a fantastic start for Muhammed Jehangiri who is competing in his first high-goal polo season. Not only was his team ahead but he also scored two fabulous field goals in the fourth chukka. UAE Polo Team, who were on the back foot for the first half of this match, came back strongly in the fourth chukka though. Lucas Monteverde Junior, Juan Martin Nero and Santos Merlos delivered some great, passing polo and tight teamwork to get themselves level (8-8) after seven minutes. With Monteverde converting a penalty in the fifth, the UAE Polo Team took the lead for the first time. The sixth was a more stop/start affair as both teams tried desperately to find the flags. When Gonzalo Pieres Jnr successfully converted a penalty for Jehangiri, making the scores level, it was time for a sudden-death extra chukka. A brilliant backhand from Merlos was picked up by Nero who fired through the winner for UAE Polo Team.

History repeated itself in the afternoon when the Cartier Queen’s Cup action moved to the Duke’s Ground. GenrosaLeo-Clinova (who had a goal on handicap at the start of the game) were looking for their first win, while Ferne Park were hoping to make it three out of three. Some impressive play from Alejandro Muzzio, Cartier’s Most Valuable Player in last year’s final, put GenrosaLeo-Clinova ahead 2-1 after the first period of play and helped keep them ahead until the sixth chukka. Pelon Stirling and  Joaquin Pittaluga battled hard to keep Ferne Park in contention but they were trailing 9-3 after four chukkas. Fortunes changed in the fifth for Ferne Park thanks to their captain, Pittaluga, firing through five goals, a mixture of penalties and field goals. Ferne Park patron Vere Harmsworth was instrumental in setting up one of these field goals. All of a sudden it was anyone’s game, with the scores reading 9-8 to GenrosaLeo-Clinova going into the sixth chukka. Ferne Park’s Cristian Laprida made the most of being on his own early into the sixth chukka by racing up the field to level the scores. Unfortunately for him another clever escape later in this chukka was not so successful. Meanwhile, GenrosaLeo-Clinova’s Muzzio’s shot at goal hit the post. So extra time was needed here to separate these two competitive teams. Ferne Park had the most of possession in the seventh but Pittaluga uncharacteristically put a safety-60 wide. Then, with four minutes of this extra chukka left to play, Muzzio delivered an impressive, angled shot to score and win the game for GenrosaLeo-Clinova. 

Images by Pablo Ramirez