Slattery scored a late consolation goal to give her a double at the Olympic Hockey Stadium in Deodoro.
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The Argentines will play No. 1-ranked Australia or No. 2 the Netherlands, while Belgium waited for defending champion Germany or New Zealand.
Not for the first time in Rio de Janeiro, Germany escaped defeat and stayed in the hunt for a third straight Olympic gold medal.
And not the Netherlands, which had never lost to its Belgian neighbor in major competition, but saw that 80-year streak terminated 3-1.
The Black Sticks women have progressed to the Olympic semi-finals in stunning fashion with a convincing win over Australia in Rio.
Team USA maintained the intensity in the closing minutes, as Bam sped off for a fast break with a clear lane to the cage, but was taken out by a German defender.
They came to Rio’s Summer Olympics with high expectations – and for several games, they exceeded them. The team had previously tied Germany 4-4 in pool play. Argentina kept the pressure on and pushed the lead to 5-0, killing any chances of a rally. That’s when Germany replaced its goalie for an extra forward to try and limit the humiliation.
Australia responded immediately with two penalty corners of their own, but Georgina Morgan’s shots were both brilliantly saved by New Zealand goalkeeper Sally Rutherford.
“We have to take the effort and all the emotions we had in this game back into the semifinal (against Argentina on Tuesday)”, Fuchs said.
Just four years ago, those intangible qualities were about all the Americans had going for themselves when they faced elite programs. It was also the end of the line for greats Jamie Dwyer and Mark Knowles, the last active 2004 gold medalists.
Like Argentina, the Belgians are a veteran team, even more so.
The Aussies must’ve had a rark up during halftime, coming in charging and slotting a goal off a PC just two minutes in.
It’s just not the team their deliriously happy compatriots thought would be playing for a gold medal.
The PA system broke down, so the national anthems couldn’t be played. To understand their grit, determination and exceptional belief in team, they spread their love of the game using #Un1ted and #ChasingtheDream.
“It was a goosebump moment”, forward Thomas Briels said. “Hopefully, we’ve inspired a few young Americans to get into the sport, pick up a stick and increase our number of player base”.
Late in the fourth, Vincent Vanasch made a huge save to prevent the Netherlands from cutting the lead back to one goal.
Belgium continued to cut through midfield, set up chances, while strangling the favorites. The last two quarterfinals were later Sunday.
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Boon said, “It’s unbelievable we were better than them”. “I think Australia didn’t show their best hockey in the Pool A, and that’s why we faced them in the quarterfinals right now, because we played quite all right in our pool”.
