TNT Sports
Netherlands win gold
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Published 13/03/2004 at 16:59 GMT
Two-time Olympic champions Netherlands won the field hockey Olympic qualifying tournament in Madrid on Saturday defeating Spain 2-1, with goals for Teun de Nooijer and Ronald Brouwer. In the third/fourth place playoff Sohail Abbas led Pakistan to a 4-2 vi
Eurosport
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Ronald Brouwer 'golden goal' brought a sudden end to the game when he cracked in a powerful reverse stick shot just 25 seconds into extra time to ensure victory for the reigning Olympic champions.
Spain had started well, taking the lead in the 31st minute when Santiago Freixa guided in from close range after stealing the ball from Netherlands defender Floris Evers.
But the Netherlands pulled level soon after the break when Teun de Nooijer swerved past a defender and smashed the ball past goalkeeper Bernadino Herrera.
Neither side was able to break the deadlock in a tense second half but Brouwer caught the Spanish off guard at the start of extra time with his brilliant strike.
The final had been preceded by a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the Madrid train bombings with the 3,000 crowd holding white cards with black ribbons of mourning above their heads.
Earlier Pakistan beat India 4-2 to claim third place in the tournament. South Africa grabbed the final Olympic berth after a nail-biting penalty shoot-out win over Belgium in the playoff for seventh and eighth place.
The South Africans will, however, have to wait to have their place at the Olympics confirmed because hosts Greece have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for an automatic berth despite failing to meet the qualification standards.
The seven teams that have earned their place in Athens as a result of the qualification tournament are Spain, Netherlands, India, Pakistan, Britain, New Zealand and South Africa.
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