The decisive match began with Pakistan in control of the ball but soon things change when the Dutch counter-attacked and Bjorn Kellerman smashed a stunning backhand strike into the bottom right corner from an ever-narrowing angle, opening the score of today’s game. In the minute 17th, Mink van der Weerden shot a penalty-stroke into the goal, making it 2-0. The match continued with the Netherlands taking complete advantage of the game, while the Green Shirts struggled to keep up. Five minutes later, and with one man down due to a green card, the hosts managed to score once again. This time is Mirco Pruijser, who broke into the opponent circle and fired into the bottom right corner on the backhand. Another goal form the Dutch followed, thanks to a penalty corner with a powerful drag-flick inside the right post. The 1st half ended with the Netherlands dominating the game, now leading 8-4 on aggregate.
The 2nd half started with Pakistan in possession of the ball, but the Dutch quickly reverted the situation and in the minute 39th when battled his way into the circle before thrashing a backhand strike high into the net. A few minutes later, a new penalty-corner for the Netherlands and it was Jip Janssen who scored, putting the game 6-0. In the last quarter, the Green Shirts got three consecutive failed penalty-corners. Another one was given, in the minute 53rd, and this time the ball hit the net in a drag-flick move from Rizwan Ali, giving a consolation goal to players in what has been a really difficult game for Pakistan. The Dutch had an impressive win, and the match finished 6-1, sealing their place at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. It’s a difficult time for three-times Olympic gold medalists Pakistan, who miss out on their second successive Olympic Games.
