Madrid: The Netherlands won their sixth women's World Cup hockey crown after a second-half double from Maartje Paumen and a classy finish from Sylvia Karres earned them a 3-1 victory over Australia in the final on Sunday.
The thoroughly deserved victory broke a run of two final defeats for the Dutch in the last two editions of the tournament and allowed them to claim their first World Cup since 1990.
The Dutch were given further reason to celebrate when captain Minke Booij was named World Player of the Year after the match.
Earlier, Argentina, who the beat the Dutch after a penalty shoot-out in the 2002 final, won the bronze medal when they trounced hosts Spain 5-0.
Australia and the Netherlands played some fluent hockey in the opening minutes at the Club de Campo but neither side was able to create a clear threat on goal as the two defences stood firm.
The Netherlands stepped up a gear after a quarter of an hour and Kim Lammers almost deflected a shot in at the near post, while Eefke Mulder sent a powerful shot just wide moments later.
The Dutch were in control for the rest of the half and appeared to take the lead just before halftime but the video umpire ruled out the goal when it was decided a long-range shot from Mulder had deflected off an Australian defender rather than Karres.
Fierce shot
The Netherlands eventually broke the deadlock when Paumen sent a fierce shot fizzing low into the net past keeper Rachel Imison from a penalty corner five minutes after the break.
Australia got back on level terms seven minutes later when Rebecca Sanders fired home a penalty stroke after Dutch defender Janneke Schopman blocked a goal-bound shot on the line with her leg.
However, the Netherlands kept up their relentless pressure and Karres restored their lead with a brilliant reverse-stick finish after bursting into the "D" 20 minutes into the second half.
She finished as tournament top scorer with six goals.
Paumen then made sure of victory with her second three minutes from the final whistle, an expertly taken penalty stroke that was awarded after an Australian defender had blocked a Karres shot on the line with her body.
In the third-fourth place playoff, Maria de la Paz Hernandez racked up a hat-trick inside the first 12 minutes for Argentina to set the 2002 winners on their way to an easy victory.
Marine Russo added a fourth after the break and Alejandra Gulla completed the rout with a great finish when she turned and shot in high at the near post two minutes later.
Despite the defeat, it was still Spain's most successful World Cup, their previous best performances coming with fifth-place finishes in the 1976 and 1990 editions.
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