The second semi-final of the FIP European Championship at Santa Maria Polo Club resulted in a hard-fought game with Austria handing Spain their first loss of the tournament to reach the final, where they will meet Italy.
An evenly matched contest produced end-to-end action with 21 shots between the two teams over four chukkas of play. Fighting through some foul trouble throughout the game, Austria conceded two penalty goals to Spain, but held the advantage due to their accuracy in open play. Shooting 50% from the field, Austria was led by an impressive performance from Diego Braun, who finished with two field goals and three assists, contributing on all five of Austria’s field goals. Spain’s Nicolas Ruiz Guinazu provided a valiant effort with four goals, but Austria never trailed in the semi-final, providing a response to each Spain goal to capture the 6-5 triumph.
