Hockey-Germany and Spain to contest men’s Hockey World Cup final

Spain came from a goal ​down to edge co-hosts ​Netherlands 4-3 in ‌their men’s ​Hockey World Cup semi-final on Friday and will play Germany in Sunday’s final. The ‌Germans were 2-1 winners over Argentina in Friday’s second semi-final in Wavre, Belgium.

The Netherlands had a 1-0 lead late in the ‌third quarter in their clash at Amstelveen, but Spain ‌equalised through José Basterra and then went on to win the match when the Dutch had Duco Telgenkamp yellow-carded and penalised for 10 ⁠minutes. Basterra tipped ​in for ⁠Spain to take the lead and a penalty corner converted by Pepe ⁠Cunill put Spain up 3-1, after which Basterra completed his hat-trick ​from a penalty strike.

Jip Janssen reduced the score from ⁠a penalty corner, and a minute before time, Joep de Mol also ⁠tapped ​in. But back to their full complement, the Dutch ran out of time intervals in their quest for ⁠an equaliser. In the other semi-final, Justus Weigand and Paul-Philipp Kaufmann scored ⁠for the ⁠Germans, while Tomas Domene scored Argentina’s equaliser from a penalty corner in a tense clash.

(Writing by ‌Mark ‌Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing ​by Rod Nickel)