Spain defeats Netherlands to reach field hockey World Cup final

The Netherlands men's field hockey team failed to reach the World Cup final after a 3-4 loss to Spain at the Wagener Stadion in Amstelveen. Despite being the reigning Olympic champions, the Dutch side conceded the lead in the fourth quarter.

Koen Bijen opened the scoring for the Netherlands in the 22nd minute. However, Spain's José Basterra equalized in the third quarter. The momentum shifted significantly in the final quarter when Dutch player Duco Telgenkamp received a 10-minute suspension following a yellow card and a physical altercation with Xavier Gispert.

During the period of player disadvantage, Basterra scored again to make it 1-2, followed by a goal from Pepe Cunill. Basterra completed a hat-trick via a penalty corner to extend the lead to 1-4. The Netherlands attempted a late comeback with goals from Jip Janssen and Joep de Mol, but ultimately fell short.

Spain will advance to the final in Waver, Belgium, where they will face the winner of the match between defending champions Germany and Argentina.