Rio 2016 | Men’s Hockey: India beat Pan-American Champions; Super Spain shine again on Day 4

Spain are certain to be joined in the last eight by Belgium (WR: 6), who claimed their third win in three Pool A matches by defeating World champions Australia (WR: 1). Tanguy Cosyns finished off a brilliant team move early in the second quarter to score the only goal of a tense, fiercely contested game, as the Red Lions condemned the top ranked team in world hockey to their second defeat in three matches. While Belgium sit proudly at the top of Pool A thanks to a superior goal difference over Spain, the Kookaburras now find themselves in unfamiliar territory, currently lying fourth in the standings. 

Great Britain (WR: 4) ended the day sitting in the third position in Pool A, having claimed their first win of the competition with a goal-difference boosting 9-1 scoreline against host nation Brazil (WR: 30). Incredibly, Brazil struck first in the match when GB goalkeeper George Pinner was beaten by a precise penalty corner drag-flick from Brazil’s Stephane Vehrle-Smith, who plays his club hockey alongside Pinner for English champions Holcombe HC. Vehrle-Smith’s strike was a moment of history for Brazil, being their first ever goal in Olympic hockey competition. Despite the early set-back, Great Britain were deserving winners with Barry Middleton, Ashley Jackson and Sam Ward all hitting doubles in the triumph. 

It was another good day for the Netherlands (WR: 2), who thrashed Canada (WR: 15) 7-0 to move second in the standings with seven points and also book their ticket to the Quarter-Finals.  Mink van der Weerden continued his staggering Olympic scoring record by netting for a tenth match in succession, a sequence that started in the Netherlands’ opening match at the London 2012 Olympiad. Van der Weerden bagged a hat-trick in the contest, with live-wire striker Jeroen Hertzberger also scoring twice as the European champions outclassed the Red Caribous, who sit sixth in Pool B. It was another special day for Netherlands’ youngster Jorrit Croon, who celebrated his 18th birthday in Rio today. "I didn't expect a year ago that I would be celebrating my 18th birthday at the Olympics”, said Croon. “The Olympics are something special and to celebrate here with the crowd, they were singing when I entered the pitch, was a great, great feeling."