Spain denied Belgium the opportunity to replicate their Tokyo feat at Paris Olympics.© AFP
Reigning hockey Olympic champions, Belgium, were denied the opportunity to replicate their Tokyo feat in Paris after falling short against Spain in the quarter-finals of the men's hockey event on Sunday. Jose Maria Basterra (40'), Marc Reyne (55') and Marc Miralles (57') featured on the scoresheet for Spain. Arthur De Sloover (41') and Alexander Hendrickx (58') emerged as the two goalscorers for Belgium. In the first quarter, the game kicked off with both teams seeking an opportunity to get a shot at each other's goalpost.
Marc Vizcaino led the first attacking threat for Spain, but the game remained evenly matched. Both teams relied on their tactical approach, and the first half ended goalless.
Seeking to break the stalemate, Belgium adopted a more aggressive approach in the second quarter. However, time continued to elapse, and the first half ended in a goalless affair.
The urgency was visible in the way Spain and Belgium approached the game in the third quarter. Basterra eventually handed Spain a lead after producing a dazzling individual play to open the floodgates.
A minute later, Sloover ended Spain's moment of reprieve by restoring parity in the game. It was the final set of action in the third quarter, with both teams finding themselves level at 1-1.
In the final 15 minutes of the game, both teams once again continued to work hard to decipher each other's defensive layout.
Reyne found himself in the goal-scoring opportunity and took the chance by effortlessly sending it past the goalkeeper. Spain were five minutes away from qualifying for the semi-finals. A minute later, Miralles converted the penalty corner to give Spain a two-goal advantage.
The Red Lions stood on the verge of elimination, and Alexander raised hopes of a late comeback. Belgium were awarded a penalty corner, and Alexander converted it to make the scoreline 3-2. Spain held their defensive shape to knock Belgium out of the race for the gold medal.