The British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup is stepping into the last league games, on the way to the quarter finals. At the moment, there’s only one team unbeaten – UAE, while Park Place and La Magdeleine are out of competition having lost all their matches.
The British Open is split in two Leagues, A and B, with five teams each, playing all against each other. Then there are Group C and Group C, made of four teams. The format of these two groups consists in cross playing – meaning, hose on Group C playing against those on Group D. This make somewhat a unified group, with a total of eight teams.
All teams must play a total of four games in order to know who will advance to quarter finals. With regards to League A and League B, the two first qualify directly will step directly into the tournament’s next stage; this applies to the first three within Group C/D, as well.
Meanwhile, teams placed third within League A/B, and fourth within Group C/D, will determine the eighth spot according to the total of games won. In the event of a tie, the last spot in quarters will be determined by a penalty shootout; this means that the eighth spot will be the only to be decided after a penalty shootout.
Once the eight teams due to play the quarter finals are decided, they will be ordered from one to eight to determine the matchups. The first of each league will go from 1 to 3, according to the results; those who finished second within League A and B, as well as the second and third within Group C/D, will be placed through 4 and 7 according the results; and number 8 will go to the lineup placed in third place within League A/B, or the fourth within Group C/D.
Therefore, these are the matchups of the quarter finals:
Match 1: 1st vs. 8th.
Match 2: 4th vs. 5th.
Match 3: 2nd. vs. 7th.
Match 4: 3rd. vs. 6th.
The order of play of the semifinals is as follows:
Match 5: Winner match 1 vs Winner match 2.
Match 6: Winner match 3 vs Winner match 4.
The winner of each semifinal will qualify to the final, due on Sunday July 20.