El Remanso 10-goaler Pelon Stirling
With no room for error, a determined UAE polo team (HH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum, Jack Richardson, Lucas Monteverde and Pablo MacDonough) charged onto the field Saturday afternoon and scored four consecutive goals, 4-0, in the opening chukker while a stunned Talandracas team (Edouard Carmignac, Juan Martin Nero, Lucas James and Juan Jauretche) could do little more than watch as the quarterfinals of the 2013 Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup for the British Open got underway at Cowdray Park.
UAE would score a fifth straight goal, 5-0, before Talandracas finally woke up. Second chukker play would see Talandracas charge back into the fray, scoring the final three goals of the chukker, cutting the UAE lead to two goals, 5-3.
Talandracas turned the tables on UAE in the third with Juan Martin Nero and Lucas James leading the way. Four unanswered goals gave the match a whole new complexion as Talandracas found themselves in control of a 7-5 halftime lead over a bewildered UAE foursome. Talandracas had fallen behind 5-0 in the early goings but had rallied to score seven straight goals to take full control of the game.
UAE had regrouped at halftime and managed to stem the Talandracas attack in the opening minutes of the fourth chukker. UAE scored first, cutting the Talandracas lead to a single goal, 7-6. Talandracas responded with a goal to make it 8-6. UAE scored the final goal of the chukker, and it was a one goal game, with Talandracas in the lead, 8-7.
Talandracas struck first in the fifth, scoring twice and extending their lead to three goals, 10-7. UAE responded with consecutive goals to bring them to within a goal of Talandracas, 10-9. Talandracas stretched their lead back to two goals, 11-0, with their third goal of the chukker. UAE scored the final goal of the fifth, paring the Talandracas lead back to a single goal, 11-10, with one chukker left in the game.
Nero continued to display his dominance over UAE as Talandracas scored the first two goals of the final chukker to establish a 13-10, three goal lead. UAE fought back, scoring twice and coming back to within a goal of Talandracas, 13-12, but time ran out on them and Talandracas celebrated the 13-12 victory.
EL REMANSO 16, SUMAYA 12
Sumaya (Ahmad Aboughazale, Tomas Garbarini, Facundo Sola and Hilario Ulloa) took control of the second quarterfinal Gold Cup game of the day as they scored four first chukker goals. El Remanso (Ali Paterson, George Hanbury, Pelon Stirling and Guillermo Terrera) managed to put two goals on the scoreboard but trailed 4-2 after the opening period.
Sumaya continued to pressure the El Remanso defense in second chukker play. Two more Sumaya goals had them leading 6-3 after the second period. El Remanso was held to a single score and trailed by three goals.
Pelon Stirling led a third chukker El Remanso rally that resulted in five goals as they galloped past Sumaya to take an 8-7 halftime lead. Sumaya was held to a single goal, and trailed for the first time all day.
El Remanso continues its comeback. Great interaction between Stirling and Guillermo Terrera set the pace. Four more El Remanso goals in the fourth chukker were answered by two goals from Sumaya. El Remanso stretched its lead to three goals, 12-9, with two periods left to be played.
El Remanso and Sumaya exchanged goals in the fifth, with each picking up a pair. Sumaya battled, but nothing changed as El Remanso maintained its three goal lead, 14-11, going into the final chukker of play.
El Remanso outscored Sumaya 2-1 in the final chukker to record a 16-12 win and earn a semifinal berth.
Talandracas will play the winner of the Dubai vs. Twelve Oaks match while El Remanso will take the field in semifinal play against the winner of the Zacara vs. La Bamba de Areco both semifinals slated to be played on Thursday, July 18th