Argentina, Belgium reach first men’s hockey final

TIL Desk Sports/ 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 semi-final win over neighbours Netherlands, the 1996 and 2000 champions. The South Americans pounced on a German team who only squeezed into the semi-finals 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.