Fifteenth-ranked Canada finished in fourth place at the World League men’s field hockey semifinal in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday.
Canada had two chances to qualify, losing 3-0 to host Argentina in the tournament semifinal on Saturday. The men’s team then dropped a 6-0 result to world No. 2-ranked Netherlands in the match for third place.
In the loss to the Dutch, Burnaby’s Gabriel Ho-Garcia and Brenden Bissett of New Westminster both had good chances to get Canada on the scoresheet late in the game.
The top three teams, including Germany, all secured a qualifying berth to the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next year.
Canada’s respectable fourth-place finish still leaves a number of Olympic qualifying possibilities for the men’s team.
A gold medal at the upcoming Pan Am Games in Toronto would secure Canada a spot in Rio. A combination of results from another World League semifinal taking place in Antwerp, Belgium June 20 to July 5, and other continental qualifiers from around the world could also impact Canada’s chances.
