Defender Gareth Furlong scored twice as Great Britain’s men began their quest for Olympic hockey gold with a decisive 4-0 victory over Spain in Pool A.
Nick Park initiated the scoring in the first quarter by intercepting a Spanish player’s pass, outmaneuvering a defender, and skillfully lifting the ball over goalkeeper Luis Calzado.
Furlong, who debuted for Great Britain in February, extended the lead early in the second quarter, driving the ball through Calzado’s legs from a penalty corner.
He secured the win in the final quarter with another powerful strike from a penalty corner. Rupert Shipperley added the fourth goal, capitalizing on a loose ball in front of the goal.
Spain generated numerous opportunities at the overcast Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, but their lack of precision and Ollie Payne’s strong goalkeeping kept them scoreless.
Great Britain, captained by Northern Ireland’s David Ames, aim to secure their first Olympic medal since winning gold in 1988.
“Defense is something we really pride ourselves on,” Furlong said. “The fact we probably haven’t played the perfect game, but we’ve still managed to score four goals and keep a clean sheet is obviously something that we can take confidence from.
“There are six or seven other countries who probably think the same thing, but if we can keep building on this, I don’t see any reason why we can’t win this competition.”
Great Britain will face South Africa next on Sunday evening, followed by matches against top seeds the Netherlands, hosts France, and world champions Germany. The top four teams will advance to the quarter-finals.
Great Britain’s women will start their Pool B campaign against Spain at 12:15 BST on Sunday.
In other action, reigning Olympic champions Belgium defeated Ireland 2-0 in the opening match of men’s Pool B. Tom Boon opened the scoring, and Alexander Hendrickx, the top scorer in their Tokyo triumph three years ago, added the second.