A full house, an incredible atmosphere, and dramatic moments in the match against fierce rivals the Netherlands: In a thrilling hockey finale, the German team narrowly lost the gold match 1:3 in a penalty shootout following a tense 60 minutes that ended in a 1:1 tie.
“The disappointment couldn’t be greater; we fought until the end,” said national coach Andre Henning. “Unfortunately, we failed to demonstrate the quality needed for a penalty shootout.” Team captain Mats Grambusch criticized: “We weren’t able to apply pressure on the Dutch for an extended period. Unfortunately, we have to accept that.”
Too weak in the penalty shootout
Thies Prinz (50th minute) equalized for the German Hockey Association (DHB) team at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir after Thierry Brinkman (46th minute) had given the Netherlands the lead. In the shootout, Jean-Paul Danneberg saved two attempts, but only Justus Weigand managed to score for the German team. This meant the end of Germany’s hopes for a fifth Olympic gold after victories in 1972, 1992, 2008, and 2012. However, after finishing fourth in Tokyo 2021, Germany will return home with a medal.
Unsportsmanlike conduct after decision
As Duco Telgenkamp received his gold medal, loud boos resonated throughout the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in northwest Paris. The Dutchman became an Olympic hockey champion and, following his outburst against the defeated Germans, was regarded as the villain. “That is the most unsportsmanlike behavior I have ever seen from a winner in my life,” national player Niklas Wellens stated.
Immediately after the penalty shootout, Telgenkamp lost his composure. “He had the best moment of his life, winning gold at the Olympics, and ran to our goalkeeper, who was lying on the ground and crying, knelt down, and performed the silencer gesture,” said Wellens. With his index finger over his mouth, the Dutchman positioned himself in front of Jean-Paul Danneberg.
Great atmosphere in the packed stadium
The earlier match had been particularly thrilling due to the vibrant atmosphere in the stadium. In the overcrowded Stade Yves-du-Manoir, players from both teams were met with an enthusiastic crowd, with the Dutch clearly enjoying a majority presence in the stands. This is typically the case in hockey clashes between these two teams, and the Germans are accustomed to it. Even in the preliminary round, when the teams had met previously, Germany won the match 1:0.
Both defensive – scoring chances scarce
In that initial meeting, both teams played very defensively. This time, it began in a similar fashion. The mantra was to hold firm at the back and avoid being countered, applicable to both teams. Naturally, scoring chances were scarce. In fact, there were none at all during the first 15 minutes—not even a penalty corner.
The first real challenge arose in the 17th minute when Niklas Wellen received a two-minute penalty for not hearing the referee’s whistle and continuing to play illegally. The Dutch team, which continued to proceed with extreme caution, failed to capitalize on their numerical advantage.
A penalty corner – the result of the first half
Finally, in the 25th minute, the German team was awarded their first penalty corner after a foul on Christopher Rühe. With Gonzalo Peillat unavailable, Tom Grambusch attempted a shot but was blocked by the formidable Dutch defense. There was little else to show in the second quarter, and the halftime score remained 0:0 after 30 minutes of play.
The most exciting moment at the start of the second half was when a lawn sprinkler sprayed a fountain of fresh water onto the players and the field, much to their relief, as the air temperature still lingered at 28 degrees in the evening.
First goal scenes after almost 40 minutes
The brief intermission brought no change in gameplay: it remained a game of patience. The Netherlands had their first opportunity in the 39th minute when Duco Telgenkamp nearly scored in the shooting circle but was blocked at the last moment. Almost immediately afterward, Germany had their first real scoring chance: Niklas Wellen fired in the shooting circle, but goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak was well-positioned.
Hero of the Netherlands: Goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak
The last tricky moment for Germany in the third quarter was a two-minute penalty against Johannes Große, who failed to maintain the necessary distance. However, this did not lead to any outcomes, as the decision was postponed until the last quarter.
Oranje celebrates: Brinkman scores, Prinz responds
Then it happened: 43 seconds after the restart, the Netherlands took the lead when Thierry Brinkman converted a half-high pass in the shooting circle to score 1-0. Shortly afterward, it could have been 2-0 as Koen Bijen seized an opportunity but shot past the German goalkeeper; however, Peillat skillfully cleared the ball off the line. In response, Germany took a risk that paid off: Wellen won a penalty corner.
It was truly unbelievable: The corner didn’t go as planned, and Thies Prinz mishandled his stick. But that confusion evidently puzzled the Dutch players. Prinz managed to drive the ball into the goal, leveling the score at 1:1 in the 50th minute. The drama of the match intensified as both teams opened up their defenses, playing for victory. Nevertheless, neither could secure the decisive goal, and even a final penalty corner for the Netherlands in the last minute of the game proved ineffective.
The penalty shootout ultimately determined the gold and silver medals. Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak emerged as the hero by saving three attempts from the Germans.
A sold-out crowd, an incredible atmosphere, and enormous drama in the match against arch-rivals the Netherlands: In a real hockey thriller, the German team lost the gold match by a narrow margin of 1:3 in a penalty shootout. After an intense 60 minutes, the score was 1:1.
“The disappointment couldn’t be greater, we fought until the end,” said national coach Andre Henning, “but unfortunately we didn’t show the quality that you need in a penalty shootout.” Team captain Mats Grambusch criticized: “We didn’t manage to put pressure on the Dutch for a longer period of time. Unfortunately, we have to accept that.”
Too Weak in the Penalty Shootout
Thies Prinz (50th) equalized for the German Hockey Association (DHB) selection at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir after Thierry Brinkman (46th) had put Oranje in the lead. In the shootout, Jean-Paul Danneberg saved two attempts, but only Justus Weigand scored for the German team. This ended the hope of Germany’s fifth Olympic gold after 1972, 1992, 2008, and 2012. At least: After a fourth place in Tokyo 2021, Germany will return home with precious metal in its luggage.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct After Decision
When Duco Telgenkamp received his gold medal, loud boos echoed through the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in the northwest of Paris. The Dutchman is an Olympic hockey champion – and after his outburst against the defeated Germans, he was the bogeyman. “That is the most unsportsmanlike behavior I have ever seen from a winner in my life,” said national player Niklas Wellens.
Immediately after the penalty shootout, Telgenkamp lost his nerve. “He had the best moment of his life, won gold at the Olympic Games and ran to our goalkeeper, who was lying on the ground and crying, kneeled down and did the silencer,” said Wellens. With his index finger over his mouth, the Dutchman had positioned himself in front of Jean-Paul Danneberg.
Great Atmosphere in the Packed Stadium
The previous match had been particularly successful due to the great atmosphere in the stadium. In the jam-packed Stade Yves-du-Manoir, the players of both teams were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd: the Oranje clearly had the majority in the stands. But that is actually always the case in hockey duels between these two teams – the Germans are used to it. Even in the preliminary round, when the two had already met – Germany won the match 1:0.
Both Defensive – Scoring Chances Scarce
In that first duel, both teams had played very defensively. This time it started that way too. Stand firm at the back and don’t let yourself be countered, that was the motto – for both teams. So chances to score were naturally few and far between. Or to put it more accurately: there were none at all. Not in the first 15 minutes. Not even a penalty corner.
Things got tricky for the first time in the 17th minute when Niklas Wellen received a two-minute penalty – the striker from Crefelder HTC had not heard the referee’s whistle and had illegally continued playing. The Dutch – who continued to play extremely cautiously – were unable to make the most of their numerical superiority.
A Penalty Corner – The Result of the First Half
And in the 25th minute, the moment finally arrived: The German team was awarded its first penalty corner after a foul on Christopher Rühe. Because Gonzalo Peillat was not on the field, Tom Grambusch tried to shoot – but was blocked by the strong Dutch defense. There wasn’t much more in the second quarter – the score was 0:0 at halftime after 30 minutes of play.
The most exciting scene at the start of the second half: A lawn sprinkler sprayed a fountain of fresh water onto the players and the playing surface. They were grateful as the air temperature was still 28 degrees in the evening.
First Goal Scenes After Almost 40 Minutes
The short break brought no change on the field: it remained a game of patience. The Netherlands had their first chance in the 39th minute when Duco Telgenkamp almost scored in the shooting circle, but was blocked at the last moment. Almost immediately afterwards, Germany had their first good goal-scoring opportunity: Niklas Wellen shot in the shooting circle, but keeper Pirmin Blaak was on the spot.
Hero of the Netherlands: Goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak
The last tricky scene for Germany in the third quarter: a two-minute penalty against Johannes Große, who had not kept a necessary distance. But that didn’t result in anything – the decision was postponed until the last quarter.
Oranje Celebrates: Brinkman Scores, Prinz Responds
And then it happened: 43 seconds after the restart, the Netherlands were leading: Thierry Brinkman converted a half-high pass into the shooting circle to make it 1-0. A little later, it was almost 2-0: Koen Bijen had a clear path – shot past the German goalkeeper, but Peillat cleared it artistically on the line. In return, Germany had a chance, and they now took a full risk: Wellen won a penalty corner.
It was actually unbelievable: The corner went wrong and Thies Prinz made a mistake with his stick. But that was exactly what obviously confused the Dutch. Prinz slammed the ball into the goal to make it 1:1 (50th minute). The drama in the game was now enormous – both teams opened up their defenses and played for victory. But no one was able to score the redeeming goal, as even a final penalty corner for the Netherlands in the last minute of the game had no effect.
The penalty shootout had to decide the gold and silver medals. Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak became the hero when he saved three attempts by the Germans.
