- Men's hockey in the final: "We are overjoyed"
German Players Raise Their Sticks in Triumph as Hockey World Champions Advance to Olympic Final
German players raised their sticks high and embraced in jubilation: the men's hockey team's quest for Olympic gold is nearing completion after securing a spot in the final. In the semi-final in Paris, the team coached by André Henning defeated India 3:2 (2:1) and will face European champions Netherlands on Thursday (7:00 PM). Twelve years after their last victory in London, winning the Olympic title was the German men's hockey team's primary goal from the start. They have already secured a silver medal.
"We are overjoyed," said Niklas Wellen. "We didn't play a great game, that's clear. It's a testament to our strength to win despite not being at our best. I believe that's what defines us." The 29-year-old also stated, "We'll celebrate for an hour, then rest and figure out how to beat Holland."
In Tokyo three years ago, the German team left without a medal and suffered a particularly bitter defeat against India in the bronze medal match after leading at one point. In France, they managed to avenge that loss thanks to goals from Gonzalo Peillat (18th minute), Christopher Rühr (27th minute, penalty), and Marco Miltkau (54th minute). India's goals were scored by Harmanpreet Singh (7th minute) and Sukhjeet Singh (36th minute).
Germany's Defense Under Pressure
Germany's defense was under pressure from the start in the Stade Yves-du-Manoir and had to defend multiple penalty corners. India's captain Harmanpreet Singh put several dangerous shots on goal early on. On the fifth attempt, goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg had no chance against a deflected ball and had to concede a goal. In the first quarter, Germany struggled to create offensive chances with only 34% ball possession and too many individual errors.
In the round-robin stage, Germany secured the group victory with four wins in five games and then narrowly defeated Argentina 3:2 in the quarter-finals. Against eight-time Olympic champions India, Peillat equalized with a powerful shot from a penalty corner. Rühr then converted a penalty. At that point, the narrow lead was somewhat flattering.
Germany's lead was quickly threatened at the start of the second half. India generated pressure through penalty corners, with Sukhjeet Singh scoring the equalizer. After that, the Asians, who had advanced to the quarter-finals despite playing a significant portion of the game with fewer players, retreated into their own half. Justus Weigand missed the best chance to score the third goal - until Miltkau finally succeeded just before the end.
The Netherlands will be facing Germany in the Olympic final after securing the European title. Despite not playing their best, Germany is determined to overcome the Netherlands and capture the Olympic title they have been aiming for since their last victory in London.
