By Brian Spoors
Kuala Lumpur - Germany beat Australia 2-1 to win the Hockey World Cup for the first time on Saturday, thanks to a goal from Oliver Domke just five minutes from time.
Domke slid the ball home from a Sascha Reinelt pass in the 65th minute to seal victory for the pre-tournament favourites and hand Australia their first defeat in the tournament.
Germany finished third in the 1998 competition and they had not appeared in a final since losing to Pakistan 20 years ago.
Although they gave away five penalty corners to Australia's two, the German defence was rock solid under the command of captain and man-of-the-match Florian Kunz and Philipp Crone.
Michael Green and Christoph Eimer kept a sharp Australian midfield in check while, up front, Christoph Wein challenged his opponents down both flanks.
Tight German marking denied Australia's speedy attack time and space to get under way and the breakaway threat from Jamie Dwyer and Jeremy Hiskins was sporadic.
Two well-matched teams created chances at both ends with Germany's Christian Wein and Australia's Bevan George going close in the first half.
Australia then went ahead 31 minutes into the half, following their second penalty corner when a slip move caught out the German defence for Troy Elder to put his side ahead.
The lead lasted only four minutes, though, as Kunz rattled in the equaliser from his side's first penalty corner on the stroke of halftime.
The second half was just as evenly matched until the last 10 minutes when Germany, having survived three successive penalty corners, took the upper hand.
With just five minutes left on the clock, Christoph Eimer won possession and fed Reinelt who sped into the D to set Domke up for his decisive goal from close range.
Golden Goal
In the earlier playoff match, a 73rd-minute golden goal from Jaap Derk Booma earned the Netherlands a 2-1 victory over South Korea and the bronze medal.
The Koreans went 1-0 up in the ninth minute through Song Seung Tae and held the lead for an hour before Sander van der Weide revived Dutch hopes with a 69th-minute equaliser.
The Netherlands had pressed for most of the second half and their opponents, hit by injury to four players, were content to soak up the pressure and occasionally use their speedy forwards to harry the Dutch defence.
But Teun de Nooijer's pace finally caught out the Koreans and his deft through pass set up van der Weide's late goal to take the game into extra time.
"I am very happy with the golden goal rule," said Dutch coach Joost Bellaart afterwards.
"Four years ago, we won the world title with a golden goal and this time we have won the bronze medal with a golden goal."
Bellaart said he had urged his players to stay on their feet when the Koreans slumped to the carpet at the final whistle: "That way we had a little moral victory going into extra time."
Early pace
South Korea had set the early pace, though, and missed three clear chances before top scorer Song connected in front of goal after Yeo Woon Kon shuttled a free hit from Shin Seok Kyo through the Dutch defence.
The Netherlands had more of the play after that but Bram Lomans missed with two penalty corners and Karel Klavel brought a flying save from Lim Jong Chun.
The Dutch were almost caught napping when a mistake by van der Weide gave Seo Jong Ho a clear chance which he put over the goal.
Korea's only penalty corner was netted by Shin but, as occurred in the semifinal defeat by Germany, the umpires decided he had not stopped the ball correctly.
Bram Lomans missed three penalty corners for the former cup holders and reigning Olympic champions.
South Korea finished seventh at the 1998 World Cup final and were beaten by the Dutch in the Olympic final. - Reuters