Argentina-Belgium final in hockey

RIO DE JANEIRO — Argentina and Belgium reached the Olympic Games hockey final for the first time Tuesday as defending champion Germany and fellow favorite Netherlands came up short. Argentina stunned Germany, the gold medalists in 2008 and 2012, by 5-2 while Belgium clinched a 3-1 semifinal win over neighbor Netherlands, the 1996 and 2000 champion. The South Americans pounced on a German team who only squeezed into the semifinals by scoring three times in the closing five minutes to beat New Zealand in the last-eight, 3-2. Defender Gonzalo Peillat hit a hat trick of penalty corners with Joaquin Menini and Lucas Vila giving Argentina a 5-0 lead. Menini’s 35th minute goal was the pick of the bunch for an Argentina team which will win its first medal in men’s hockey. Agustin Mazzilli escaped a defender to lift the ball over German goalkeeper Nicolas Jacobi for his teammate to tap home. Peillat’s triple took his total for the tournament to 10. Moritz Furste and Christopher Ruhr scored late consolation strikes for Germany. Argentina was also indebted to goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi who pulled off 10 saves in total. Argentina, ranked at seven in the world, has already surpassed its best previous Olympic performance of a fifth-place finish at the 1948 Games in London. Four years ago, in London again, it was 10th. Belgium got the better of 2012 runner-up Netherlands and guaranteed of improving on its previous best Olympic run — that was a bronze medal on home ground in Antwerp in 1920. Four years ago, it could only manage a fifth-place finish but it has been revived by New Zealand coach Shane McLeod who led the Kiwis at the 2008 and 2012 Games. Belgium scored twice in four minutes in the first half through Jerome Truyens and skipper John-John Dohmen. The Dutch pulled one back before the half-time interval through Mink der Weerden. But a field goal in the 46th minute from Florent van Aubel gave attack-minded Belgium the advantage again. Women’s semis lineup Defending champion Netherlands will face Germany, while Britain take on New Zealand in the women’s hockey semifinals of the Rio Olympics Wednesday. World NO. 1 Netherlands, which is seeking a third successive gold, beat Argentina 3-2 in the quarterfinals, while Germany dumped out the United States with a 2-1 victory Monday. New Zealand hammered world No. 3 Australia 4-2 in its quarterfinal to set up a chance of a rare hockey medal, as Britain, who won the bronze medal in the 2012 London Games, ousted Spain 3-1.