Tensions explode after Dutch hero Duco Telgenkamp’s wild act in hockey gold medal match

The Netherlands have been branded sore winners after tensions exploded during a fiery Olympic gold medal match against Germany on Friday (AEST).

After scores were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, a penalty shootout was needed to decide the winner.

Dutch goaltender Pirmin Blaak was the hero with a number of crucial saves in the shootout as Duco Telgenkamp scored the winning goal to seal the gold with a 3-1 result.

But that’s when things turned ugly.

Telgenkamp wheeled away to celebrate before mocking German goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg with a shushing sign.

The sparked a fiery response from German star Niklas Wellen, who immediately went over to the Dutch protagonist to remonstrate.

It wasn’t initially clear what had happened, but replays showed Telgenkamp getting up into Danneberg’s face before nearly clipping his helmet with his face.

Officials were forced to celebrate both teams in wild scenes.

“This would be a really sour taste for the end of the match. My goodness,” one commentator said.

“That’s not good from Telgenkamp, you judge a player by how they win and I’m afraid that is not the way to celebrate,” another added.

Fans were furious at the sight.

“A very very bad unsportmanship by the Dutch players. This is completely not in the Olympic spirit. If you win you can’t tease the losing team. Very bad behaviour by the Dutch players,” one fan said in a tweet of the clip that has since gone viral.

Telgenkamp later apologised for his actions.

“In hindsight, I shouldn’t have gone to him. I regret that. I also apologise,” Telgenkamp said afterwards.

“I should have let it go and it wasn’t very smart. But it’s also a bit the nature of the beast. I can be very cool-headed, but I can also let myself go. Is that part of it?”

He said his reaction was because of Danneberg’s pre-match comments when the German reportedly said “the Dutch are really scared” and “they will have a big problem” against us.

On the Danneberg comments, Telgenkamp added: “He affected me personally. Sports are not business, it doesn’t take much to be provoked. That’s how I go into the match. I felt a bit offended.”

After a tense final with no goals for the first three quarters, there were two in the first five minutes of the fourth.

Dutch captain Thierry Brinkman scored a tap-in before Thies Prinz tied it for Germany from a penalty corner.

The Netherlands had an excellent chance at winning in regulation on a penalty corner with 56.1 seconds left, but Jip Janssen fired wide left of the goal.

With the score tied after regulation, the game went to a shootout with each team getting five 8-second chances to score. Brinkman and Thijs van Dam scored, and goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak stopped three of four attempts — including one twice because of a retake.

Telgenkamp then scored the winner to give the Dutch their first hockey gold since Sydney 2000.

- With AAP