• Women's semifinal, Germany separates Spain from the European women's final

Spain returned in Antwerp to the final of a European hockey 12 years later with the intention of rising this time with gold. Despite the passage of time, the team reached this final with two veterans who were in the defeat of 2007 as main references: Pau Quemada, who with five goals was planted in the decisive game as top scorer of the tournament, and Quico Cortés, still insurance under sticks at 36 and whose interventions were decisive in the semifinals against Holland.

Opposite, the Belgian team, current world champion and who in the opening match already punished the Spanish team with a 5-0. He came after a spectacular comeback against Germany, with four goals in the second half that canceled the previous two goals of the Teutons.

And the hostess from the first quarter showed that she didn't want to let anyone take away the opportunity to lift the continental wound at home. He went to the open grave, and only three interventions by Cortés prevented the Belgians from advancing in the first five minutes. But at the fourth the locals did not forgive and got the first goal with a very good play that culminated Dohmen.

From that moment on, Spain, which had had an occasion in the early stages, disappeared from the map. Another great play finished by Van Aubel and a penalty kick taken with mastery by Tom Boon, which matched both Burned and top scorer. The Belgian gale did not end there. Before the break Stockbroekx put the 4-0 in and left Soyez with no options.

The second half served only for Hendrickx to put the icing on the penalty corner and leave the score as it was at the end of the opening game

Spain thus ended a great tournament with a creditable second place, only tarnished by the blots of the matches against the winners. After eliminating great powers like England or Holland, he returns to get a medal in a European after more than a decade.

The pupils of Shane McLeodd, meanwhile, become the great masters of world hockey and will try to perpetuate their hegemony in the next Olympic Games, for which they secured their presence with the victory in Antwerp.

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