The Dutch hockey team qualified for the final of the European championship on Friday by beating Belgium 3-2. The liberating goal fell just before the final whistle. Duco Telgenkamp, only 21 years old, scored that goal and thus avoided shoot-outs.
In 2019, the Netherlands had already faced Belgium in the semi-finals of the European Championship, then the Netherlands went through after shoot-outs, after it had become 2-2 in regular time. The Netherlands later won that tournament by beating Germany in the final. At the World Cup hockey earlier this year, Belgium won after shoot-outs against the Netherlands, also after a 2-2 score in the semi-final.
Belgium took the lead on Friday after barely two minutes through Felix Denayer. The Belgian team then had chances to increase that score in the second quarter, but goalkeeper Maurits Vissers kept his team going with some important saves. The equalizer came just after the break via Jonas de Geus and the 2-1 was then made by captain Thierry Brinkman.
Debutant
Belgium equalized in the fourth quarter, so it seemed that the winner would have to be determined via shoot-outs. Three minutes before the end, debutant at the European Championship Duco Telgenkamp scored the 3-2, which meant placement for the final was a fact.
On Thursday, the Dutch hockey players also qualified for the European Championship final, by putting England aside with a big 7-0. They will play their final on Saturday against Belgium, which beat Germany 1-0 in the semi-final.