Netherlands and Belgium will play the final of the Eurohockey Championship 2023. The Olympic and world champions demolished England in the first semifinal by 7-0, while Belgium surprised Germany in the second with a 1-0 victory. A direct spot in Paris 2024 will be at stake.
It wasn't easy for the Dutch to overcome an English team that kept the goal empty in the first two quarters. But the second half was different and overwhelming.
First Yibbi Jansen, the standout of the match, (40 goals in 55 games with the senior national team) and Pien Dickie in the third quarter gave the initial advantage to the team led by Paul Van Ass. Then, Jansen again, near the end, scored from a short corner to make it three. With the score in their favor, the orange team, which wore black, flourished and became a nightmare for the English defense. Frédérique Matla scored the fourth goal near the buzzer.
In the last 15 minutes, Mairjn Veen extended the blowout. Near the end, Jansen, once again from a direct shot, sealed her hat-trick and Matla scored her brace to embellish the unforgettable final result.
Watch the summary of Netherlands' victory:
In the other semifinal, Germany, which had not conceded many goals in the tournament, was behind in less than two minutes. Emily White, after a great counterattack, put Belgium ahead with an unstoppable reverse shot for Julia Sonntag. The equalizer was close after a masterful short corner play that Charlotte Stapenhorst amazingly failed to tap in with the goal empty and at her disposal. The second quarter remained very close with chances for both sides, but the score remained in favor of the Belgians.
The decisive half was characterized by the imprecisions in the final meters of both teams. Of course, a situation that benefited Raoul Ehren's team, which started the final quarter with the victory in their hands. Stapenhorst, on the other side, had again the chance to equalize at the start of the last 15 minutes. But luck was not on her side once again, as her impressive reverse shot hit the left post of goalkeeper Elena Sotgiu. Finally, Germany couldn't break the deadlock, and Belgium secured the historic spot in the title match.
Watch the summary of Belgium's narrow victory:
For now, on Saturday from 09:35 (ARG/URU) and 08:35 (CHI), Netherlands will seek their twelfth European title against Belgium, with broadcast on STAR+. Meanwhile, earlier from 07:05 (ARG/URU) and 06:05 (CHI), England and Germany, also with broadcast on STAR+, will compete for the bronze.
This will be the second final between the Dutch and the Belgians. The Olympic and world champions have won 11 trophies and have three consecutive titles after four finals, and they defeated their upcoming opponents, who will be searching for their first gold, in Amstelveen 2017. Thus, the streak of finals with Germany has been broken, with whom they had played for the top spot on the podium in the last two Eurohockey Championships.