Spain women qualify for 2008 Olympic Games
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—On the final day of the first of the women’s WorldHockey Olympic Qualifiers, Spain defeated Azerbaijan to clinch the available ticket to Beijing.
The Spanish favorite defeated the host Azerbaijan 3-2 and is the tenth team to be qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, according to a dispatch of International Hockey Federation (FIH).
In a thrilling final, Azerbaijan challenged Spain - something they had not been able to do at all in their pool encounter on Wednesday, but eventually it was not enough against a Spanish side that was indeed the best team in this competition.
Spain went ahead through an early goal by captain Silvia Muñoz, who hit the ball into the net from close range, stunning both the Azerbaijan team and the spectators into a moment of silence. Azerbaijan took a while to recover, but then got into the match better, and was able to level the scores before half-time when Dilfuza Mirzaliyeva converted a short corner.
Azerbaijan was on a roll suddenly, and continued to push for the lead, until their plans were rocked by a yellow card for Bo Kyung Ali-Zada. Spain made good use of their advantage in numbers and went ahead again a minute later, as Silvia Muñoz scored again, off a rebound off a Barbara Malda shot.
The game went back and forth, both teams now equal opponents, and it looked like the match would head for extra time when Dilfuza Mirzaliyeva slapped a free hit into the goal with ten minutes to go, but Silvia Muñoz - who singlehandedly got Spain’s goal scoring done today with her hat trick - scored her third goal of the day instead, thereby ending the game and booking the Iberians’ ticket to Beijing.
Spain is the tenth women’s team to qualify for the Beijing Olympics after China, Japan, South Africa, Argentina, Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia already qualified through the continental tournaments.
The last two vacancies for the Beijing Olympics will go to the winner of the World Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Kazan, Russia (19-27 April) and Victoria, Canada (26 April-4 May).