The Dubai Open 2023 is slowly whittling the lineup for the quarterfinal and semifinals. The fifth day featured two matches with the first one between Bangash by Dodson & Horrell Polo and Mahra by AIX Investment Group Polo, and the second match between AM Polo and IFZA Habtoor Polo.
The initial game commenced with a goal scored by Ignacio Negri from Bangash Dodson & Horrell Polo. However, the score was leveled by Felix Carlos Esain in the first chukker, resulting in a tie of 1-1. Until the third, the game was predominantly in favor of Mahra by AIX Investment Group Polo, who maintained a one-goal advantage. Just before halftime, Tomas F. Llorente Jr. struck the ball, extending his team's score to three. Regrettably for Bangash, Mahra's team players - Ricardo Garros Jr. and Felix Carlos Esain led their team to a score in the double digits, resulting in a final score of 10 – 5 in favor of Mahra, and ending the first match.
Match Progression:
1 – 1 | 2 – 1 | 4 – 3 | 7 – 3 | 10 - 5
Top Scorer: Felix Carlos Esain – 6 goals
IFZA Habtoor Polo team took an early lead in their game against AM Polo, as Mohammed Al Habtoor, the team's patron, scored the opening goal. With Bautista Bayugar taking three penalty shots for IFZA Habtoor, it was Isidro Strada and Patron of AM Polo Alyaa Al Maktoum, who both scored two goals, narrowing the gap between the two teams. Isidro Strada succeeded in equalizing the scores halfway through the third chukker. However, with less than a minute remaining, Bautista Bayugar scored a long-range goal, providing a one-goal advantage to IFZA Habtoor Polo. In the subsequent chukker, Bautista Bayugar – one of the top scorers of the game, scored four consecutive goals for IFZA Habtoor Polo, leading to a total score of 12-7. Despite Isidro Strada's efforts to increase the score with three goals in the last chukker for AM Polo, it was IFZA Habtoor Polo, one of the dominant teams of the tournament, who ultimately emerged victorious and secured their spot in the semifinals with a 12-10 score.
Match Progression:
2 – 0 | 5 – 2 | 7 – 6 | 12 – 7 | 12 - 10
Top Scorer: Bautista Bayugar and Isidro Strada – 9 goals
The last round of qualifying matches will be on the 22nd of February:
14:00 – Ghantoot Polo vs. Clinova Noa Capital Polo | Field 1
16:15 – UAE Polo vs. Dubai Wolves by CAFU | Field 3