Rio 2016: Argentina, Belgium in hockey final
Menini's 35th minute goal was the pick of the bunch for an Argentina team who will win their first medal in men's hockey.
Rio de Janeiro: Argentina and Belgium reached the Olympic Games hockey final for the first time on Tuesday as defending champions Germany and fellow favourites Netherlands came up short.
Argentina stunned Germany, the gold medallists in 2008 and 2012, by 5-2 while Belgium clinched a 3-1 semifinal win over Netherlands, the 1996 and 2000 champions.
The South Americans pounced on a German team who only squeezed into the semifinals by scoring three times in the closing five minutes to beat New Zealand in the last-eight, 3-2. Defender Gonzalo Peillat hit a hat-trick of penalty corners with Joaquin Menini and Lucas Vila giving Argentina a 5-0 lead.
Menini’s 35th minute goal was the pick of the bunch for an Argentina team who will win their first medal in men’s hockey. Moritz Furste and Christopher Ruhr scored late consolation strikes for Germany. Argentina were also indebted to goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi who pulled off 10 saves in total. “We didn’t play our best hockey today, that’s for sure,” admitted Furste.