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NEW DELHI: Asian champions South Korea defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the men's field hockey World Cup on Wednesday, but still lost out on a semi-final spot to the Dutch.
Both teams finished the league with 10 points each, one behind group A leaders Germany, but the Dutch ousted the Koreans on a superior goal difference of plus-10 against their rivals' plus-eight.
South Korea, semi-finalists at the last two World Cups, needed to beat the Dutch by a two-goal margin that would have equalled the goal difference and dislodged the Netherlands on a head-to-head result.
In Thursday's semi-finals, defending champions Germany will clash with England, while the Dutch will take on group B leaders Australia.
The Koreans, Asia's lone survivors after India and Pakistan crashed out early, fought back after Ronald Brouwer gave the Dutch an early lead in the 25th second of the match.
Both sides were locked 1-1 at half-time as Nam Hyun-Woo equalised for the Koreans with his team's first penalty corner three minutes before the interval.
The Koreans, who had won their last three meetings against the Netherlands, took the lead 10 minutes after resumption through a superb flick by captain Seo Jong-Ho.
The Dutch pressed for the equaliser, but found a penalty stroke awarded to them four minutes from the end disallowed by the video umpire.
The Dutch also earned a last-second penalty corner which Taeke Taekema, the top-scorer in the tournament so far with six goals, shot wide.
The Koreans, who finished third in the group, will clash with Spain on Friday to determine the fifth position in the tournament.
"The result was not to our liking, but we are still happy to be in the semi-final," said Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel.
"It will be important to hold on to the ball in the semi-final. It is always tough to play the semi-final of a World Cup, but we were only focused for the Korea match.
"We will plan now for the game against Australia. There is a lot of hard work to be done."
South Korean captain Seo Jong-Ho was distraught after the match.
"It is an emotional moment for us that we are not in the semi-finals," he said. "We drew with Germany and beat the Dutch, yet we are not in the top four.
"Maybe we need to make our own luck."
Germany, seeking a hat-trick of World Cup titles to add to the Beijing Olympic gold medal, outclassed New Zealand 5-2 earlier in the day.
The Germans led 2-0 at half-time through goals by Christophe Menke in the 15th minute and Florian Fuchs in the 28th.
Philip Witte made it 3-0 soon after the interval, but New Zealand hit back with two goals in four minutes from Shea McAleese and Nicholas Wilson.
The powerful Germans sealed their supremacy when Moritz Furste and Matthias Witthaus scored twice in as many minutes, both goals coming from rebounds off penalty corners.
"It does not matter whom we play in the semi-finals and I don't care," said German coach Markus Weise ahead of the Netherlands-Korea match.
"If you have to beat any team in the semi-final, you have to be at your best."
Argentina defeated Canada 4-2 in Tuesday's last match to finish fourth in the group. - AFP/de
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