Rio 2016: First-timers Belgium, Argentina set for gold clash

Argentina and Belgium reached the Olympic Games hockey final for the first time on Tuesday as defending champions Germany and fellow favourites Netherlands came up short.

Argentina stunned Germany, the gold medallists in 2008 and 2012, by 5-2 while Belgium clinched a 3-1 semi-final win over neighbours Netherlands, the 1996 and 2000 champions.

The South Americans pounced on a German team who only squeezed into the semi-finals by scoring three times in the closing five minutes to beat New Zealand in the last-eight, 3-2.

“We watched a lot of videos of the Germans before this game. We had three corners in the first part of the game and then we scored three-from-three so it was good, happy,” said 24-year-old Peillat.

Argentina, ranked at seven in the world, have already surpassed their best previous Olympic performance of a fifth-place finish at the 1948 Games in London.

Four years ago, in London again, they were 10th.

Belgium got the better of 2012 runners-up Netherl-ands and guaranteed of improving on their previous best Olympic run — that was a bronze medal on home ground in Antwerp in 1920.

Four years ago, they could only manage a fifth-place finish but they have been revived by New Zealand coach Shane McLeod who led the Kiwis at the 2008 and 2012 Games.

“It’s an historical night. It was a great game, amazing,” said striker John-John Dohmen.