The Final day of the Hockey sees both Men's Finals settled with Golden Goals. We arrive to find that we're in the Aussie end. The girls receive small koalas from the couple sat in front of us, and as the first half of the bronze medal match starts, more and more Australians arrive. It transpires that these are Australian athletes, who have used their athlete’s passes to get into the venue to support their countrymen. Volleyball players, divers et al are there in the hope of seeing Australia’s first hockey gold.
Opening up was the Bronze medal match. Spain and Germany had both beaten Great Britain in qualifying for the Semi-Finals. Although Spain had been pre-tournament favourites, it is foolish to under-estimate the Germans.
Germany scored first through a Sascha Reinelt field goal, following a swift counter-attacking move down the left. Spain equalised just before half-time when Santiago Freixa converted a penalty stroke, following a stick tackle.
The Spanish take the lead just after half-time when with a second penalty stroke is awarded. A German defender had baulked a Spanish forward but it didn't seem any worse than earlier incidents. This time it is Eduardo Tubau who converts.
The disgruntled Germans are level five minutes later. A free hit from the right backline is deflected out to the top left of the circle. Eike Duckwitz runs into the circle to pick up the loose ball and first times a slap shot into the right corner of the goal.
Ramon Alegre receives a long ball on the right, the German 'keeper Clemens Arnold slides out to clear, but the ball falls to Tubau on the right who goes past the 'keeper and strikes an amazing goal from a narrow angle.
Back come the Germans. Christoph Eimer makes a run along the right backline and pulls the ball back to Bjoern Emmerling in front of the goal. Emmerling finishes with a standard slap shot. Wow. Three goals in ten minutes!
It's end-to-end stuff for the remaining twenty minutes, but no more goals.
Ten minutes into Extra time. Spain are complaining about the award of a free-hit on the edge of their circle. Big mistake. The hit is taken quickly and an unmarked Bjoern Michel scores the golden goal that gives the Germans the Bronze.
The atmosphere is electric. The Dutch crowd outnumbers the Aussies, but there is no space to move in the third of the stand where the Australian athletes have congregated.
The game is a little bit slow to get started, with both sides failing to make much headway in the first twenty-five minutes. The Netherlands have superior possession, with the Australians seeking to break off the back foot. A second short corner for Holland is cleared by the Aussies.
With twenty-eight minutes on the large stadium clock, the Orangje finally break the deadlock. Matthijs Brouwer picks up a searching pass on the left, sprints into the circle and dragged the ball past 'keeper Stephen Mowlam, on the right to flick it into the net.
The Australians continue to dominate the remaining minutes of the first half and are unlucky with their third short corner, but Netherlands hold on for the half-time lead.
The Australians draw level with their first serious attack of the half. Jamie Dwyer hits a long diagonal pass to the left hand side of the circle. A magnificent reverse stick stop from Travis Brooks gives him the opportunity to hit a reverse stick shot between Guus Vogels and the left post.
Mowlan in the Australian goal is forced into a couple of fine saves to keep the scores level, but neither team is making much headway in midfield as the full-time hooter sounds.
The Australians dominate extra time and are awarded a short corner just as the first period is being completed. All the Australian players come forward to try and maximise the opportunity. The ball is slipped left from the push out and Dwyer strikes the ball across the keeper toward the far post. The ball is deflected off the inside of Vogel’s pads and past the corner man into the goal. The Aussie team and fans are ecstatic!