The men's semifinal matches began with a commanding 4-0 win for gold medal-favorite Netherlands that signaled a continuance of the Dutch dominance present in the Olympic tournament, a six-game run marked by a single one-goal loss in the pool round. The Spanish will still have a chance to make the podium for the first time since 2008 when they compete in the bronze medal match.
In a rematch of the Tokyo bronze medal match, which India left victorious, reigning world cup champion Germany rallied to beat its opponents 3-2 to close the semifinal round.
The gold and bronze medal matches will take place on Aug. 8. India and Spain will battle for bronze. Germany will face the Netherlands for the title in a part deux of the 2012 men's final, which Germany took 2-1.
2024 Paris Olympics men's field hockey medal match schedule
Thursday, Aug. 8
India vs. Spain: 8 a.m. ET
Germany vs. Netherlands: 1 p.m. ET
Netherlands vs. Spain
Spain entered the matchup the stronger team, controlling possession through the majority of the first quarter — a surprise given the Netherlands' status as gold medal favorite — but a successful penalty stroke in the end of the opening frame kicked off a goal-per-quarter game for the Dutch, who earned a 4-0 win in front of a boisterous crowd completely decked in Netherlands orange.
Jip Janssen took the penalty stroke for the Dutch, sending Spanish goalie Luis Calzado diving to the right with a fake-out and opening up the left side of the net for an easy first tally and the 11th penalty stroke goal of his career. Early in the second, Dutch captain Thierry Brinkman potted the second goal of the contest, snagging a rebound and stuffing the ball top shelf.
The Dutch carried that energy into the latter half, increasing their lead to three in the opening two minutes of the third frame and adding a fourth halfway through the closing quarter. From then on, it was just a matter of playing keep-away.
Germany vs. India
Despite a seriously-lacking first quarter which saw Germany in control of the ball just 33% of the time, the Honomas pulled off a one-goal win over Tokyo bronze medalist India, clinching a bid to the final round.
On the sixth near-consecutive penalty corner, Harmanpreet Singh launched a shot from the edge of the circle that deflected off the German goalkeeper’s pads and into the net.
But Germany ramped up the heat in the second, bookending the frame with a goal in the opening and closing minutes. Gonzalo Peillat evened the score on a penalty corner at the top of the second — the team's first of the match — and Christopher Ruhr took the lead on a penalty stroke in the waning minutes of the half.
India nabbed another penalty corner goal in the third, but Germany’s Marco Miltkau sealed the deal with a bullet from the far right side of the circle, bringing the score to the final of 3-2.