The men’s semifinal matches began with a commanding 4-0 win for gold medal-favorite Netherlands that signaled a continuance of the Dutch dominance present in the Olympic tournament, a six-game run marked by a single one-goal loss in the pool round. The Spanish will still have a chance to make the podium for the first time since 2008 when they compete in the bronze medal match.
2024 Paris Olympics men’s field hockey semifinal schedule
Tuesday, Aug. 6
Netherlands vs Spain: 8 a.m. ET
Germany vs India: 1 p.m. ET
Netherlands vs. Spain
Spain entered the matchup the stronger team, controlling possession through the majority of the first quarter — a surprise given the Netherlands’ status as gold medal favorite — but a successful penalty stroke in the end of the opening frame kicked off a goal-per-quarter game for the Dutch, who earned a 4-0 win in front of a boisterous crowd completely decked in Netherlands orange.
Jip Janssen took the penalty stroke for the Dutch, sending Spanish goalie Luis Calzado diving to the right with a fake-out and opening up the left side of the net for an easy first tally and the 11th penalty stroke goal of his career. Early in the second, Dutch captain Thierry Brinkman potted the second goal of the contest, snagging a rebound and stuffing the ball top shelf.
The Dutch carried that energy into the latter half, increasing their lead to three in the opening two minutes of the third frame and adding a fourth halfway through the closing quarter. From then on, it was just a matter of playing keep-away.
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