[img_assist|nid=4784|title=Corner country|desc=Penalty corners will be key when Great Britain play the Netherlands tonight. GB’s Ashley Jackson (centre) has four PC goals in the tournament, Netherlands Mink van der Weerden has five – hockeyimages.co.uk|link=node|align=right|width=220|height=146]LONDON, 8 August – Australia and Netherlands are the favourites to provide a repeat of the Athens 2004 gold medal match by winning their respective semifinals at the Riverbank Arena on Thursday, but world champions Germany and home hope Great Britain, in their first Olympic semifinal for 24 years, hope to upset the odds.
Overall tournament conversion rates at the end of the pool stage are: 17% for field goal attempts, 27% for penalty corner attempts.
Classification 9-10 – Argentina v New Zealand (08:30)
- Argentina claimed their first win of the tournament, coming from behind to beat South Africa 6-3 in their final pool A match on Tuesday.
- Gonzalo Peillat (ARG), who will be 20 on 12 August, scored a hat-trick, the youngest person to do so at the Olympic Games since Australia’s Baeden Choppy (20 years 104 days) scored three goals in a 5-1 pool win against Malaysia at Atlanta 1996.
- Argentina have only scored more goals once at the Olympic Games, a 7-3 win against Egypt in the 11-12 classification match at Barcelona 1992.
- They also scored six in a 6-6 draw (after extra-time) with India in a 5-8 classification match at Seoul 1988. India won the match 4-3 on penalty strokes.
- New Zealand came within a minute of their first win against Germany in major international competition in their final pool B match on Tuesday.
- They drew 5-5 after leading 5-2 at the start of the second half.Argentina have converted 18% field goal attempts, New Zealand 17%.Argentina have converted 5/13 38% penalty corner chances, New Zealand 18%.
- Only South Africa (63%) and Netherlands (40%) have better conversion rates for penalty corner chances than Argentina (38%).
- The teams’ last meeting in a major international competition was a 1-0 win for Argentina in the pool stage of the 2010 world cup.
- Facundo Callioni scored the only goal in the 55th minute.The teams also met in the final of the 2012 Sultan Azlan Shah Trophy in June when New Zealand won 1-0.
- Andrew Hayward scored New Zealand’s goal from a penalty corner. These teams have met once at the Olympic Games, a 3-1 win for New Zealand in the pool stage at Athens 2004.
- Phillip Burrows scored New Zealand’s final goal in that match.
- Coach Pablo Lombi’s (ARG) younger brother Jorge scored Argentina’s goal in that match.
Classification 7-8 – Pakistan v Korea (11:30)
- Pakistan finished the pool stage with a 7-0 defeat by Australia on Tuesday.
- Pakistan failed to win any penalty corners in the match.
- Korea’s hopes of qualifying for the semifinals were ended with a 4-2 defeat by pool B winners Netherlands on Tuesday.Only South Africa (22) and India (18) have conceded more goals in the tournament than Pakistan (16).
- Pakistan have converted 19% field goal attempts, Korea 11%.
- Korea have scored fewer field goals (3) than any other team.
- Pakistan have converted 27% penalty corner chances, Korea 35%.
- Only Australia (7) and Great Britain (7) have scored more goals from penalty corner chances than Korea (6).
- Only Netherlands’ Mink van der Weerden (5) has scored more penalty corner goals than Korea’s Nam Hyun Woo (4).
- There were 17 goals in two matches between these teams at the 2011 Champions Trophy.
- Pakistan won a pool match 6-2 with goals from Muhammad Imran (2), Abdul Haseem Khan (2), Waseem Ahmed and Shafqat Rasool. Lee Nam Yong and Nam Hyun Woo scored for Korea.
- The teams also met in the 7-8 classification match, Pakistan winning 5-4 in extra-time with a golden goal from Muhammad Rizwan Senior.
- Rizwan Senior, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Tousiq and Abdul Haseem Khan scored for Pakistan, Seo Jong Ho, Jang Kyu Yeob, You Hyo Sik (2) for Korea.These teams have met three times at the Olympic Games, Korea winning twice and Pakistan once.
- Pakistan won their most recent meeting, 3-0 in the pool stage at Athens 2004.
- Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi and Sohail Abbas scored Pakistan’s goals in the second half.
Semifinal 1 – Australia v Germany (15:30)
- Australia recovered from a pair of comeback draws against Argentina and Britain to beat Pakistan 7-0 in their final pool A match on Tuesday.
- Germany recovered from 5-2 down against New Zealand to earn a 5-5 draw in their final pool B match on Tuesday.
- They had already been guaranteed qualification earlier in the day when Netherlands beat Korea 4-2.
- Australia have converted 17% field goal attempts, Germany 18%.No other teams in the competition have attempted more field goals than Australia and Germany.
- Australia have scored the most (23) and conceded the fewest (5) total of goals in the tournament.Australia (13) and Germany (11) have scored the most field goals in the tournament.
- Australia have converted 27% penalty corner chances, Germany 14%.Australia have had the most penalty corner chances (26) in the tournament.
- Only Great Britain (7) have scored as many goals as Australia (7) from penalty corner chances. Germany are one of just two teams to have beaten Australia at a major international tournament in the past three years.
- They won 3-1 at the 2009 Champions Trophy in Australia with goals from Jan-Marco Montag, Matthias Withaus and Christopher Wesley.
- These teams have contested the last three world cup finals, Germany winning twice (2002, 2006) and Australia once (2010).
- Australia won the 2010 world cup final 2-1 with goals from Eddie Ockenden and Luke Doerner; Moritz Furste scored for Germany.
- They have met three times at the Olympic Games, two of which were for medals.Germany won the gold medal match 2-1 at Barcelona 1992, and Australia won the bronze medal match 3-2 at Atlanta 1996.
Semifinal 2 – Netherlands v Great Britain (20:00)
- Britain confirmed their place in the semifinals with a dramatic 1-1 draw against Spain in their final pool A match on Tuesday.
- It is the first time Britain have been in the Olympic semifinals since Seoul 1988.
- Netherlands maintained their 100% winning record in the pool stage with a 4-2 win against Korea on Tuesday.
- They were the only team in the tournament to finish the pool stage with a 100% winning record.
- Only Australia (23) have scored more goals than Netherlands (18) in the tournament.
- Netherlands have converted 20% field goal attempts, Great Britain 17%.
- Only South Africa (25%) have a better field goal conversion rate than Netherlands.
- Netherlands have converted 40% penalty corner chances, Great Britain 35%.
- Only Australia (7) have scored as many goals as Great Britain (7) from penalty corner chances.
- Netherlands have not finished outside the top four at the Olympic Games since finishing sixth at Los Angeles 1984.
- They lost the bronze medal match 6-2 against Australia at Beijing 2008, the first time they had not won a medal since Barcelona 1992.
- Great Britain have not won an Olympic hockey medal since Seoul 1988 when they won gold with a 3-1 win against West Germany.
- Great Britain players Nicholas Catlin (born 1989) and Harry Martin (1992) were not born when that happened.
- The teams have played six times at the Olympic Games, Netherlands winning three, Great Britain two and a draw.
- Great Britain have not beaten Netherlands since a 4-3 win at Los Angeles 1984.
- Great Britain have not had a win in a major international tournament against Netherlands since a 1-0 victory at the 1987 Champions Trophy.
- Many of the Great Britain squad (as England) beat Netherlands 4-3 in the semifinal at the 2010 Champions Trophy.
- Netherlands came back from 3-1 down to beat England 4-3 in the bronze medal match at the 2010 world cup.
