RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The night was going to end in guaranteed disappointment for one former Olympic field hockey champion.
Britain and New Zealand, who share three Olympic gold medals, were in action on Friday under the lights.
Whichever of them had the better result would advance from the pools to the quarterfinals, and the other would go home.
Britain was up first, against qualified Spain, and equalized in the first quarter between the goalkeeper's legs. Thereafter, Britain laid siege to the Spanish circle, the extent of which Spain had only one more shot on goal over the last 51 minutes.