Semifinal of men's field hockey qualifying tournament ends with Great Britain and India on top

Great Britain vs. Austria

(BEIJING, March 9) -- In the Chilean capital of Santiago on Saturday, the semifinal round of the 2008 Olympic Games men's field hockey qualifying tournament ended with victories for Great Britain, India, and Russia.

Great Britain defeated Austria with a resounding score of 4-0, entering the final as the only undefeated team in these round robin competitions. In second place is team India, who comes in after beating host team Chile, 4-1. These two will go against each other for the sole spot to the Olympics on Sunday.

Great Britain scored a goal a mere five minutes into their game against Austria, putting in two more by halftime. Austria took the hint, upping its defense in the second half, not allowing Great Britain any more easy shots; but in the 69th minute, Great Britain scored another, ending the game with four goals to none. In the entire competition thus far, they've scored 30 goals against their opponents, while only letting 3 into their net.

India vs. Chile

Another match on Saturday took place between India and Chile. In front of hoards of Chilean fans, India took an early lead, scoring in the 9th, 23rd, and 24th minutes of the game. Entering the halfway point, the score was India 3, Chile 0. As the whistle blew to start the second half, Chilean fans took note of the team's change in strategy. Quite possibly, this was the best second half that team Chile played in all of their matches during this qualification tournament. No ball reached either goalie's net until the 61st minute, when India managed to score. Determined not the let their fans down, Chile took the opportunity to slam one through the Indian defense in the 64th minute, ending the game at 4-1 for India.

The two teams entering the final are similarly matched. Currently, Great Britain stands 8th in world rankings, while India stands 9th. Historically, India has taken part in 18 Olympic field hockey competitions, taking the gold in 8 of them, while Great Britain has participated in 15, taking the gold in three. In the 2004 Asian Games, the two stood in seventh and ninth places, respectively.

Great Britain has defeated India once already in Santiago, and will try again on Sunday at 6 PM in the final found of this qualifying tournament. The champion of this last round will claim the sole spot for the Games in August.

Also on Saturday, Russia defeated Mexico 9-1.