Paris, France – Day 7: Following the completion of men’s pool phase, the line up for the men’s quarter-finals at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is now known.
On Sunday 4 August, Pool A winners Germany face a quarter-final meeting with Rio 2016 gold medallists Argentina, who finished fourth in Pool B, with Pool B table-toppers and reigning Olympic champions Belgium meeting Pool A’s fourth placed team Spain.
The Netherlands finished second in Pool A and will now face a mouthwatering last eight clash with Pool B’s third placed team Australia, with Pool B runners up India taking on Great Britain, the third placed team in Pool A. The timings for these matches can be found below or by clicking here.
There were also two significant matches in women’s Pool A, with the Netherlands and Germany both snatching wins ahead of the final day of pool action on Saturday (3 August).
More information on today’s matches can be found below. For additional information about the Pool Rankings and the various splitters and the progression of the competition, please click here (Appendix 2, art. 2.2).
Men’s Pool A
Christopher Rühr scored twice as Germany secured their place at the top of pool A with a 2-1 win against Great Britain, who finished third in the pool. Rühr netted a backhand rocket and a penalty stroke to send Die Honamas into a quarter-final against Argentina on Monday. Reflecting on the result, Germany’s Martin Zwicker said: “It was a really tough game but we are glad to have the three points to finish top of the board.”
The Netherlands recovered from two goals down to claim a remarkable 5-3 victory over Spain, with Jip Janssen and Tjep Hoedemakers both netting doubles. The result put the Netherlands temporarily at the top of the pool ahead of the evening match between Germany and Great Britain, with Spain finishing in fourth.
Netherlands ace Seve van Ass said: “They did really well in the first quarter. From then you can make it or break it as a squad, and it helps if you have some experience, if you know what to do, if you know how to step it up. And we really took up the challenge.”
South Africa completed their Olympic competition with a 5-2 win over hosts France in front of a raucous, partisan crowd at Yves-du-Manoir. The Cassiem brothers contributed three goals to South Africa’s cause, with Mustaphaa firing home before Dayaan added a late brace after France had replaced their goalkeeper with an outfield player in a bid to salvage something from the contest.
Men’s Pool B
A last-gasp equaliser from Thibeau Stockbroekx earned Belgium a point in their final pool match, tying 3-3 with Argentina. The goal ensured that the Red Lions completed the pool phase unbeaten, with four wins and a draw from five matches to finish top of the standings. A point was not enough for Argentina to climb up the table, remaining in fourth position. It was a special day for Belgium’s Florent van Aubel, who made his 300thappearance for his country.
India men claimed their first Olympic hockey victory over Australia since Munich 1972, some 52 years ago, as team captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice in a 3-2 victory against the Kookaburras to ensure a second place Pool finish. “We started (the tournament by) winning, and we decided we were going to finish with a winning match” said Harmanpreet, who hopes to guide India to their first gold medal since Moscow 1980. “We put them under pressure and the pressure was so good from the frontline.”
India’s Shamsher Singh achieved a personal milestone against Australia, playing his 100th international match.
As South Africa did in Pool A, Ireland ended their Paris 2024 campaign on a high note with a hard-fought victory over bottom of the table New Zealand, as goals from Benjamin Walker and Jeremy Duncan sealed 2-1 win to finish fifth in Pool B.
Women’s Pool A
There were two significant matches in women’s Pool A, with the Netherlands taking control of the group with a 3-1 win over the previously unbeaten Belgium while Germany defeated China 2-0.
Pien Sanders, Yibbi Jansen and Maria Verschoor scored the goals to give the Oranje victory over the Red Panthers, putting them three points clear at the top of the table. “I feel quite good, it was a good game”, said Netherlands scorer Verschoor. “I think we were playing very solid. We weren’t in any kind of danger. I’m just really happy with the win.”
The contest brought up a milestone for umpire Hannah Harrison (GBR), who took charge of the 100th international match.
Charlotte Stapenhorst and Nike Lorenz both scored twice for Die Danas in their victory over China, a win that left them second in the table at the end of the day’s play. “It was a tough game”, said Germany’s Amelie Wortmann. “China is always a strong opponent, so we wanted to defend well, and then it’s good for us. We made an early goal.”
Despite the defeat, it was a milestone moment for China’s Dan Wen, who played her 100th international match.
Further information and statistics on all of today’s matches can be found by clicking here.
Notable figures attending the Olympic hockey at Yves-du-Manoir on Day 7 included Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Greg Barclay, Chairman of the International Cricket Council.
The Paris 2024 Olympic hockey competition continues on Saturday 3 August with the completion of the women’s pool phase, which will finalise the fixtures for the quarter-finals.
In Pool A, Netherlands (1st – 12 pts) meet Japan (5th – 1pt) on Pitch 2 at 10:30 CEST, with China (4th – 3pts) and France (6th – 0pts) going head-to-head on Pitch 1 at 17:00. The final match of the pool phase also takes place on Pitch 1, with Germany (2nd – 9pts) playing Belgium (3rd – 9pts).
In Pool B, Great Britain (4th – 6pts) and Argentina (2nd – 10pts) feature in the 10:00 match on Pitch 1, with Australia (1st – 10pts) facing Spain (3rd – 7pts) at 12:45, also on Pitch1. The final Pool B match takes place on Pitch 2 at 13:15, with USA (5th – 1pt) taking on South Africa (6th – 0pts).
The hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 take place from Saturday 27 July to Friday 9 August. Both the men’s and women’s competitions feature 12 teams, split into two pools of six ahead of quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches. For more information about the hockey competitions at Paris 2024, visit Olympics.Hockey.
Olympic Games Paris 2024 – Hockey
2 August 2024 – Day 7
Results
Men’s Pool A
Netherlands 5-3 Spain
France 2-5 South Africa
Great Britain 1-2 Germany
Men’s Pool B
Australia 2-3 India
New Zealand 1-2 Ireland
Belgium 3-3 Argentina
Women’s Pool A
China 2-4 Germany
Belgium 1-3 Netherlands
Pool standings overviews
Men: click here.
Women: click here.
Men’s Quarter-Finals – Sunday 4 August 2024 (all times CEST)
10:00: India v Great Britain – Match 2
12:30: Belgium v Spain – Match 4
17:30: Netherlands v Australia – Match 3
20:00: Germany v Argentina – Match 1
Semi-finals – Tuesday 6 August 2024 (times TBC)
Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2
Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4
by Asia Hockey
