The Dubai Royals Did It!
So we had said after the last Semifinals game that the smart money was on the UAE Polo Team. Were we right or were we right? It could have been ‘horsepower’ but Ghantoot’s horses matched up to UAE’s. It could have been a calculating Patron on No. 1 position, but Bin Desmal matched up to Sheikha Maitha [HRH MRM]. It could have been running smart plays, but Donovan was up to par on the Ghantoot side, matching up with Matias Benoit's skills.
Here’s what made all the difference… acquaintance with the heat of the game. UAE having played last season, is acquainted with the latest temperature of the Series. Ghantoot had no clue. And it caused a lot of fouls on the Ghantoot side, while the UAE Team just sucked up the fouls, getting 5 easy goals out of them.
Then there’s Tomas Panelito who just has a way of changing the entire equation, while AleMuzzio as the commentator fondly calls him, upset the entire scores in the last 2 minutes of the game.
That’s what an 18-goal handicap game sounds like, and the kitchen is about to get hotter…Gold Cup starts next week. Mohammed Al Habtoor has mentioned that new horses have arrived for the game. His team is not leaving anything to chance, so we’ll be on the lookout for horsepower from Habtoor Polo Team next week.
The battle of the Royals has come to an end. Dubai wins over Abu Dhabi. Congratulations UAE Polo Team on winning the Silver Cup 2019. Thank you UAE and Ghantoot for giving us an edge-of-the-seat game, and causing a few old souls we know, minor heart attack. We love the adrenaline, that’s what it’s all about.
The occasion was graced by His Highness Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, who did the honors of handing out the prizes to the players during the Trophy Presentation Ceremony.
Match Progression:
UAE Polo:
1st Chukker: 2 - 2
2nd Chukker: 5 - 3
3rd Chukker: 5 - 7
4th Chukker: 7 - 9
5th Chukker: 10 - 9
Top Scorer: Alejandro Muzzio - 4 goals
SILVER CUP FINALS
Friday, February 8 | 4PM: UAE Polo 10 vs. Ghantoot Polo 9
Photos courtesy Al Habtoor Polo Club and Resort
