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Dutch a win from hat-trick
Athens - The Netherlands took a giant stride towards a third consecutive Olympic men's field hockey title when they knocked out world champions Germany 3-2 in the semi-final on Wednesday.
The Dutch, who won the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games and retained it in Sydney four years later, scored twice in a four-minute burst in the second half to break the 1-1 deadlock at the interval.
In Friday's final, the Netherlands take on the winner of the second semi-final between Spain and Australia to be played later on Wednesday.
The Dutch, the dominant force in field hockey with nine of the last 12 major titles in the bag, showed their prowess with their sixth successive win at the Athens Games.
It made amends for the third-place finish at the 2002 World Cup in Malaysia which Germany won by defeating Australia in the final.
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