''We saved our best for last'' - Netherlands Coach Max Caldas said after the girls from Holland defended their Olympic Championship with another Gold Medal. Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel scored the Golden Goal from a rebound of Eva de Goede's corner in the 40th minute. The shot went in just to the left of the post. Maartje Paumen provided the insurance goal with a  spectacular shot, picking out the top corner with a truly thunderous drag-flick.  At the final whistle, the Dutch celebrated with a mass hug in their circle as thousands of orange-clad fans roared at the Riverbank Arena. Eight of the Dutch players earned their second straight gold medal. The Netherlands became the second team to win back-to-back gold medals in women's field hockey, joining Australia (1996-2000). The Netherlands medaled at the Olympics for a fifth straight time. It captured a silver in 2004 following back-to-back bronzes and Gold in the 2008 Beijing Games final. Maartje Paumen has now scored 14 goals at the Olympic Games, surpassing Alyson Annan of Australia for most all-time.

Argentina has been unable to get by the Netherlands in the Olympics. The country lost to the Dutch in the 2004 and 2008 semifinals, finishing with bronze medals to go with their silver in 2000 in Sydney. No. 2-ranked Argentina was seeking its first gold medal, but its captain, Luciana Aymar, who is nicknamed "The Magician," became the first women to win four Olympic field hockey medals, and the first Argentinean to win four medals at the Olympics in any sport, she had no tricks up her sleeve in her quest for her first gold medal on her 35th birthday. Argentina has medaled in four straight Olympic Games, sandwiching a pair of silvers around bronze medals in 2004 and 2008.