Netherlands book place in women's hockey final / Photo: Arun SANKAR - AFP
Netherlands book place in women's hockey final
Defending champions Netherlands booked their place in the women's Olympic hockey final with a comfortable 3-0 win over Argentina on Wednesday.
They will face either China or Belgium, who face off later, in Friday's final.
The Dutch, cheered on by an overwhelmingly orange-clad crowd, took charge from the start but were frustrated through the first quarter by a resilient Argentine defence.
They were also set back when a groggy Joosje Burg was helped from the field with blood streaming from her nose after the ball deflected up into her face.
Luna Fokke broke the deadlock after 21 minutes, chasing on to a long overhead and flicking past Cristina Cosentina in the Argentine goal.
Four minutes later Laura Nunnink reacted quickest to a ball flashed across the area from the left, deflecting in at the near post.
The plucky Burg returned to the fray, complete with a clean blood-free shirt, for the second half when the Dutch quickly underlined their dominance with penalty corner expert Yibbi Jansen clattering the backboard.
The Dutch have won three of the last four Olympic golds - taking silver in 2016 - and they continued to press their claims for a fourth out of five, Marjin Veen a lick of paint away from adding a fourth as she smeared the ball across the front of the goal.
Argentina had their chances to come back into the game in the second half but Valentina Raposo was off target with her penalty corners, eight of them failing to find the target.
In the final quarter Cosentino did well to keep out another Jansen penalty corner and then parried away the follow-up.
Dutch goalie Anne Veenendaal was also called into action late in the game, turning away Sofia Cairo's lofted effort.
Hockey at Paris 2024 is being held at the same Yves du Manoir stadium that served as the main Olympic stadium the last time France hosted the Games in 1924.
B.Mclean--EWJ
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