Oranje break Belgium after half-time and are European champions: 27‑12

Belgium briefly ahead

Belgium kept it close for a half. Fleur Hoek opened the scoring after 25 seconds, but Lise van Maldeghem, Yannick van Gucht and Kian Amorgaste kept bringing Belgium back: 1‑1, 2‑2 and 3‑3. Brett Zuijdwegt and Ran Faber put Oranje back in front with long shots, and after the first quarter it was 6‑4. In the first quarter the Netherlands shot a lot from distance, with fewer quick combinations than usual.

In the second quarter Belgium turned the score around. Joke van Maldeghem made it 6‑5, Lisa Pauwels finished a run-in for 6‑6 and Lisa van Gorp hit a long shot for 6‑7. The Netherlands immediately called a time-out.

Oranje then came back. Hoek made it 7‑7, Zuijdwegt and Faber put the Netherlands 9‑7 up. Wout van Elsacker converted a penalty (9‑8), but Hoek scored the 10‑8 three seconds before half-time. The second quarter ended 4‑4.

Read more: European Championship day 8: the Netherlands European champion against Belgium, Czech Republic take bronze

Nine in a row

After half-time things moved quickly. Daniëlle Boadi, who had still been clutching her knee in the semi-final, immediately made it 11‑8. After 11‑9 from Van Gucht, from very far out, Annelie de Korte, Alwin Out from a penalty and Faber with a run-in scored: 14‑9. Belgium substituted Van Elsacker for Jordy Antes and called a time-out at 14‑9.

It did not help. After 15‑10 from Van Gorp, the Netherlands scored nine times in a row, up to 24‑10 in the final quarter. Zuijdwegt reached four goals, Olav van Wijngaarden scored three, and Out and Boadi also scored again. The third quarter ended 9‑2; after three quarters it was 19‑10.

Faber top scorer

Faber scored his fifth and sixth goals in the final quarter and became the top scorer of the final. In the final quarter the Netherlands changed almost the entire team. Substitute Rosalie Peet scored twice from distance, Jorien Jordaan twice, including the 27‑12, and Hoek made it 26‑11. For Belgium, Joke van Maldeghem and Arne van Damme still scored. The final quarter ended 8‑2.

Gold and silver

Faber, Zuijdwegt and Hoek together accounted for fourteen of the 27 goals. For Belgium, Joke van Maldeghem, Amorgaste, Van Gorp and Van Gucht each scored twice. The Netherlands win gold, Belgium silver. Host nation the Czech Republic took bronze earlier in the day with 20‑12 against Germany.