Dutch men's hockey team beat Germany to win gold for first time in 24 years

The Dutch men's hockey team became Olympic champions for the first time since 2000 on Thursday. The Dutch team, which returned to the finals at the Games after twelve years, defeated Germany after a shootout: 3-1. After regular playing time, the score was 1-1 after a match with little danger to either goal.

Orange goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak played a leading role. In the shootout series, he stopped no less than three shootouts of the Germans. On behalf of the Netherlands, Duco Telgenkamp scored the decisive shootout.

Immediately after the last shootout, a big party broke out on the field. The 36-year-old Blaak was lifted up by his teammates and cheered by the crowd. Some Germans had difficulty swallowing the defeat and sought confrontation with Dutch players.

Thierry Brinkman opened the score in the 46th minute of regular playing time. He scored from close range after a cross from Koen Bijen. Shortly afterward, Thies Prinz equalized by shooting from the edge of the circle. He was able to take aim after a penalty corner had been wrongly stopped.

In the first 45 minutes, both teams had few opportunities, and the crowd at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, which was sold out with around 15,000 spectators, did not have much to enjoy.

After Brinkman had put Oranje on 1-0, the match became much livelier, quickly resulting in the equalizer. The audience emphatically supported both countries, but no more goals were scored. Immediately after the final whistle, five players had to go at the opponent's goalkeeper one by one. The first two shootouts of Oranje went wrong, but the three that followed were successful.

In the group stage, the Netherlands lost 1-0 to Germany, their only defeat of the tournament.

At the previous Games in Tokyo, the Dutch team lost in the quarter-finals. Australia beat them after a shootout. Shortly after the Games, Jeroen Delmee took over the position of national coach from Max Caldas. He spoke of "taking a new path". There was a lot of rejuvenation and farewell to several veterans.

The Dutch team won gold 24 years ago in Sydney when they beat South Korea in the final. Delmee was a part of the squad on that occasion. He had also won gold four years earlier in Atalanta.

Paul van Ass, the women's national coach and father of player Seve, was an attentive spectator in the stands. He and his team will face China in the final of the women's tournament on Friday.