London 2012 Summer Olympics - Field hockey Champions - Germany

The Netherlands should have finished off the Gold Medal final by halftime, but time and again they were stymied by the legs or gloves of goalkeeper Max Weinhold, and the willingness of German defenders to throw their bodies in front of shots. The Beijing 10 were a defensive wall for the German team during the Summer Olympics in London.

The German defence may have been very strong, but during the Gold Medal Game, it was the man in the middle getting the job done in spectacular fashion. Jan Philipp Rabente, playing his first Olympics, scored both German goals in the 2 to 1 victory over The Netherlands.  

Jan Philipp Rabente the Uhlenhorst Mulheim midfielder broke the deadlock at the 33rd minute - two minutes before halftime when he ran around Sander Baart into the circle, ran away from Robert van der Horst and, as he fell slapped a goal between two defenders and over goalie Jaap Stockmann.

 Mink van der Weerden tied it for the Netherlands in the 53rd minute with his Olympic tournament-best eighth goal. Van der Weerden’s first penalty corner was blocked by Martin Haener but with his immediate second chance he scored from a rocket that sent Germany captain Max Mueller ducking for cover on the goal-line. Van der Weerden scored in all seven matches he played in London.

With five minutes to go, Rabente had a shot at goal and kept running around behind the net from the left side. Jaap Stockmann made the save, and the ball was cleared, only for Florian Fuchs to fire it back in, where Benjamin Wess gave it a quick nudge toward the goal and Rabente came around from behind the net on the right post to steer it in - Game Winner and Golden Goal for Rabente. 

Jan Philipp Rabente had this to say after the victory: “My aim in the game is not to score goals but just to win and do everything for the win,” - But if there’s a need to score two goals and have a chance to, I will. “I can’t really believe it right now. It was just destiny that I was standing in the right place at the right time. Every player in the team would have scored those goals. I’m just glad we won.” 

Markus Weise, who won his third successive Olympic gold after coaching the Germany women in 2004 and the men in Beijing 2008 and here, said, “A final has two ends, one sweet and one bitter, and we got the sweet end.”