India experienced a crushing disappointment in hockey, falling to Germany 3-2 in the semifinal match at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. This loss prolongs India's 44-year quest for an Olympic hockey gold medal. India will now face Spain for the bronze medal on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the top-ranked Netherlands secured a spot in the final with a commanding 4-0 victory over Spain, a much smoother win compared to their earlier pool stage match where they had to recover from a two-goal deficit. The Dutch fans, dressed in a sea of orange, cheered loudly just before the final whistle, signaling their team's first Olympic final appearance since London 2012. The Netherlands aims to break a 24-year gold medal drought.
Spain, having lost 5-3 to the Netherlands in Pool A, will compete for a medal for the first time since 2008 in the bronze medal match. Netherlands defender Jip Janssen scored the opening goal with a successful penalty stroke in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a foul by Spanish goalkeeper Luis Calzado. Captain Thierry Brinkman doubled the lead in the 20th minute, scoring his first goal of the Paris Games after a rebound from a Spanish defender's stick.
Brinkman expressed his relief, stating, "I was waiting for that moment throughout the tournament as I had some bad luck in the nine yards. Patience is key for an international striker, and the most important ball is always the next one." The scoring continued in the third quarter with Thijs van Dam finding the net after a collision between two Spanish defenders. Duco Telgenkamp added the fourth goal for the Netherlands in the 50th minute, prompting another round of cheers from the crowd.
Reflecting on the match, Spain's captain Marc Miralles acknowledged, "We didn't do many things wrong, but the small details were our downfall. The Netherlands were efficient and that's an area we need to improve for our next game."
