[img_assist|nid=5901|title=Golden moment|desc=Germany – Olympic men’s hockey champions – hockeyimages.co.uk|link=node|align=right|width=220|height=149]LONDON, August 11 – A Jan Philipp Rabente double too Germany to their second successive men’s Olympic Games hockey title with a 2-1 final win over Netherlands.
An individual effort from the Uhlenhorst Mulheim midfielder two minutes before half-time set Germany on their way. Then a final deflection on a pass into the circle from Tobias Hauke restored the winning margin two minutes ahead of the final whistle.
Netherlands equalised Rabente’s opener after 54 minutes with Mink van de Weerden’s sixth penalty corner goal of the London Games.
Keeper Jaap Stockmann also kept the Dutch in the game with an acrobatic second-half save from a rising Christopher Zeller reverse-stick shot. There was fine keeping at the Germany end too with Max Weinhold producing an exceptional first-half save diving near his left post to deny Billy Bakker.
Germany retain the Olympic title they won in Beijing with a 1-0 final defeat of Spain. Netherlands take their first Olympic men’s hockey medal since 2004 when they lost the final 2-1 to Australia in extra time. The Netherlands women’s side had retained their Olympic title the night before with a 2-0 defeat of Argentina.
Both Germany and the Netherlands played controlled and skilful hockey throughout and it took Rabente’s individual effort to break the first half deadlock. The 25-year-old drove through two tackles at the top left of the Netherlands circle and, as he fell, slapped over Stockmann Earlier in the half Max Weinhold had produced an exceptional save in close from Billy Bakker and the German PC defence led by Philipp Zeller had charged down a Roderick Weusthof corner.
