The penultimate day of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup in Gstaad was met with heavy rain pounding down on the picturesque Gstaad airfield. Due to the adverse weather conditions and after much deliberation from the show officials, the decision was made to play a penalty shoot out to decide which teams would reach tomorrow’s highly anticipated final. After two tense battles Team E.I. Sturdza Investment Funds and Team SIR – who are new to the tournament this year – claimed victories and will face each other in the Final to compete for the coveted Hublot Polo Gold Cup Trophy.
Silence descended on the VIP terrace as the first penalty shootout got underway. Defending champions Team E.I. Sturdza Investment Funds proved too much for Team Gstaad Palace taking an early lead on the scoreboard. Team E.I. Sturdza Investment Funds’, Ignacio Bello, was the only player to score a 60 yard goal which helped secure his team to a 5 – 2 victory over last year’s runners-up Team Gstaad Palace.
The second penalty shootout was a closely fought contest which went right down to the wire. Team Banque Baring Brothers Sturdza SA were denied the early lead with Chris Falk’s strike falling just 5cms in front of the line. The deciding goal came from Matias Machado, he took his time as he approached the shot and with a look of determination in his eyes struck the ball cleanly, slotting it perfectly between the posts. The loud roar from Team SIR signified their delight at realising they had secured a place in tomorrow’s final. The final score 6.5 – 4.
On Friday the crowd-favourite ‘Player’s Parade’ returned to the streets of Gstaad. Despite the wet weather the streets were filled with spectators all hoping to catch a glimpse of the world-class polo players as they rode through the quaint village. Following the parade the players mingled with the crowds, sponsors and VIP guests alike at the Hublot cocktail party which celebrated the 20th anniversary of the tournament and 10 years since their flagship watch the ‘Big Bang’.
Quotes:
Team E.I. Sturdza Investment Funds captain, Mohammed El Sewedy said, “It is great to win but of course we are a bit disappointed that we could not have played a regular match for the semi-final. The other team was also strong and in the end it all comes down to a bit of luck. It was a wise decision to play a penalty shootout as the ground has already suffered from the rain.”
Team SIR captain, Andreas Tombor commented, “It feels great to make the final tomorrow, I am hoping for the victory, it would be fantastic to win in our first year of being here. Today it was risky as it comes down to luck rather than performances really. The weather conditions made the shots more difficult because of the wind and rain.”
