Spain's gold hopes dashed in women's hockey

Spain started the game aggressively, playing with four forwards and no sweeper, but their confidence appeared to drop when they were unable to grab an early goal.

With Carol Thate and Dillianne van den Boogaard making the play, The Netherlands gradually assumed control, taking the lead 12 minutes before halftime from Susan van der Wielen's penalty corner deflection.

The goal came with Spain one player down, Mar Feito having received a dubious yellow card two minutes earlier.

Spanish coach Marcus Lammers, who ironically takes the reins as Dutch coach next year, felt his team had been on the end of some poor umpiring throughout the match.

''It is tough when you are playing against 11 Dutch and two umpires,'' Lammers said. ''There was a lot of stick-checking from the Dutch not called but we did it once and got called.

''We have had good luck in every game, but today every decision went against us.''

In a classification match for seventh and eighth, striker Natascha Keller found her best form to guide Germany to a 2-0 win over Great Britain.

Keller, the 1999 international player of the year, posted her first goal of the tournament with a brilliant run and reverse stick shot in the 21st minute.

She produced another scintillating burst early in the second half which led to Germany winning a penalty stroke. Britta Becker converted to give Germany an unassailable lead.

Veteran forward Jane Sixsmith did her best to lift Britain, but the Barcelona bronze medalists simply could not find the net.

When they eventually put one in eight minutes from time, they were dismayed to find a penalty corner had been awarded to them before the shot.

In the play-off for ninth and 10th, Atlanta silver medallists South Korea saved some face with a 3-0 win over South Africa.

South Korea had 26 shots at goal compared to South Africa's seven, converting three of those in the first half to set up their win.

Eun-Jin Kim scored twice to take her tally for the tournament to four, the other goal going to Hee-Joo Yoo from a penalty corner.

The new-look Korean squad contained only three players who took part in 1996, but having never finished lower than fifth in Olympic and world championship competition, they will be grossly disappointed with ninth spot.

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