![\"FIH](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/JWC-Men-2025-India-e1763479071613.jpg\")
<\/a>Here\u2019s a lowdown on the proceedings from the four action-packed encounters:<\/p>\nBelgium vs France (Full-Time Score: 3-2)<\/strong><\/p>\n Looking to put their quarter-final defeats behind, European neighbours Belgium and France began their quest for finishing as high as possible in the 5\/8-position playoffs, and the desperation to win showed in the nature of the battle, which was fierce, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai.<\/p>\n Belgium had lost their quarter-final to India in a dramatic shootout, while France too tested defending champions Germany in their last-eight match but ended up on the losing side in the shootout.<\/p>\n The caginess of the two teams kept the game goalless in the first quarter. Once settled, both the teams executed their plans better, resulting in two goals in the next 15 minutes. France were the first to get on the board, when James Liddiard produced a clinical finish to put his team ahead in the 22ndminute. Belgium responded almost immediately, equalising through Mathis Lauwers four minutes later. It remained 1-1 at the half-time hooter.<\/p>\n France restored their lead, this time off a penalty corner, which Tassilo Sura converted in the 35thminute. France protected their 2-1 lead for the next 10 minutes to stay in front during the last two-minute quarter break.<\/p>\n It was still anybody\u2019s game in the final quarter with just one goal separating the two teams. But it didn\u2019t take long for the Belgians to make things even. Maximilian Langer scored the goal that made it 2-2 in the 46thminute, setting up a thrilling climax.<\/p>\n While it looked the game had more than one goal in it in the remaining time, it produced just one; and it was Belgium who cut through the French defence to create a penalty corner in the 58thminute and scored the winning goal through Hugo Labouchere to win 3-2.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was very important for us to bounce back and win this game. It\u2019s never easy and today we showed what we are made of,\u201d said Belgium captain Lucas Balthazar. \u201cWe played a really good game against India (in the quarter-final), lost it in the shootout and now we are playing for fifth place. Even if we didn\u2019t play our best game today, it was important to win and bounce back.\u201d<\/p>\n New Zealand vs Netherlands (Full-Time Score: 3-6)<\/strong><\/p>\n Netherlands lived up to their potential to put the disappointment of quarter-final defeat against Argentina behind and went past New Zealand 6-3 in their 5\/8 placement match in Chennai.<\/p>\n New Zealand, who had fought valiantly before losing to Spain in the quarter-final, were the clear-second best against the Dutch, who dictated the majority of the game, led by their in-form striker and captain Casper van der Veen\u2019s hat-trick. That took van der Veen\u2019s tally of tournament goals to 9 \u2013 behind the leading scorer Amirul Islam of Bangladesh with 15 goals.<\/p>\n The Blacks Sticks had the hero of their own in Jonty Elmes, who also scored a hat-trick and took his count of goals to 9 as well; but the way Netherlands began and kept consolidating their lead through the match, Elmes\u2019s effort proved futile.<\/p>\n The Dutch strikers began like a force in a hurry to put the game beyond the New Zealanders. Three goals in the first eight minutes \u2013 two from van der Veen and one from Peppe Veen \u2013 put the Black Sticks in chasing mode. While Elmes cut that lead to 3-1 in the 18thminute, the Orange army added two more goals for an overwhelming 5-1 lead. Jan van\u2019t Land provided the finishing touch to a field goal and Joppe Wolbert converted a penalty stroke. Elmes kept fighting for New Zealand \u2013 producing his second goal a minute before half time to reduce the Dutch lead to 5-2.<\/p>\n Van der Veen completed his hat-trick in the 36thminute to swell Netherlands\u2019s lead to 6-2, and while the tempo of the game could have produced many more goals in the last two quarters, the next 22 minutes only produced close misses. Even as Elmes struck for the third time in the 59thminute, the writing was on the wall for New Zealand, who lost 6-3.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I enjoyed scoring the last one (goal). It was high, backhand, out of (thin) air. So I am really happy with that,\u201d said Netherlands captain van der Veen after the match.<\/p>\n First Semi-final: Spain vs Argentina (Full-Time Score: 2-1)<\/strong><\/p>\n Spain scripted history on the Chennai turf, entering their first ever FIH Hockey Men\u2019s Junior World Cup final as they eked out a 2-1 win to knock over two-time champions Argentina.<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s tactics to exert early pressure yielded immediate results, as a ricochet during a 7th-minute penalty-corner set-piece fell at the stick of Mario Mena who made no mistake in putting his team ahead 1-0.<\/p>\n The two sides kept exchanging blows, including near misses, until the 21stminute when Argentina finally converted a penalty corner through Juan Fernandez to bring the game on an even keel. It remained 1-1 at the half-time hooter.<\/p>\n The story of so-near-yet-so-far continued for Argentina in the goal-less third quarter, and better part of the fourth, while they had their chances both on field plays as well as set pieces.<\/p>\n The game went on tenterhooks as the clock started racing during the last 10 minutes of the match. Spain too had their fair share of chances in between, but unlike the Argentines, they capitalized on one of those in the 56thminute to stun their South American opponents. A long ball directed towards the Argentine circle got a touch from Albert Serrahima, and the same was ratified by the video umpire.<\/p>\n Argentina\u2019s last penalty corner seconds before the final whistle gave them a chance to force a shootout, but Spain survived that. Hugs and high-fives followed, as the Spaniards celebrated their historic run into the final to change the colour of their two past bronze medals (2005 and 2023).<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels amazing. I dreamt of this a lot, also during the last World Cup, just like now. Today we have achieved what we wanted. It hasn\u2019t been easy, but now we are in the final,\u201d said Spain goalkeeper Jan Capellades.<\/p>\n Second Semi-final: India vs Germany (Full-Time Score: 1-5<\/strong>)<\/strong><\/p>\n Germany, the most successful team in the history of FIH Junior Men\u2019s World Cup, will have a crack at winning their eight title having booked their 10thentry into the final when they broke the heart of home fans in Chennai on Sunday with a comprehensive 5-1 win over India in the second semifinal.<\/p>\n Defending champions Germany will now meet first-time finalists Spain for the title on Wednesday.<\/p>\n The Germans dominated the Indian team in every department of the game, which was showcased in their three field goals, five penalty corners compared to India\u2019s one, penetrating attacks and a better defensive gameplan than the hosts.<\/p>\n The game all but slipped out of reach for India in the very first quarter. Germany drew first blood when Lucas Kossel calmly put away a penalty stroke late in the 14thminute, after Quirin Nahr\u2019s flick hit Ankit Pal on the body standing at the goal-line, and the umpire pointed at the spot to signal a penalty stroke.<\/p>\n The second German goal was an unfortunate one for India, as Titus Wex\u2019s hit from inside the circle brushed Sunil Bennur\u2019s stick and went into the goal just before the first two-minute break. The second quarter ended in a similar fashion, with Kossel collecting his second goal off a penalty corner to make it 3-0 at half-time.<\/p>\n With the crowd stunned into silence and India looking out of sorts, Jonas von Gersum made the scoreline more favourable for Germany with a fourth goal in the 40thminute. Captain Ben Hasbach turned it into a \u2018five-star\u2019 performance with a brilliant run to collect an aerial ball that split open India\u2019s defence; and despite the angle getting narrowed at the near post after he beat the Indian goalkeeper Prince Deep Singh, Hasbach lunged full length to direct the ball into the goal for a 5-0 lead.<\/p>\n Anmol Ekka converted India\u2019s only penalty corner of the match in the 51stminute, but by then the game was way beyond the home team\u2019s reach.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable! I think it was a great team performance. It was for sure our best game in the whole World Cup. Now it\u2019s down to the last game (final), so we have to win,\u201d said Germany\u2019s Titus Wex, who also reflected on his team\u2019s run in the tournament. \u201cOur beginning was quite good; we scored a lot of goals. But our defending was not at the level that we can play normally. I think today it (defence) was the key to our win. Now we have to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n