Olympic Double for Team USA

It was the most predictable gold medal at the Olympics and yet, Team USA did not exactly have a pick nick at the beach against Spain in the men’s final of the Olympic games.

In a rematch of the 2008 Olympic Finals, the London 2012 game showed much of the same.

Spain trying to control the pace of the game and use the height advantage with the Gasol brothers, while Team USA tried to push transition basketball and use its superior athleticism.

Both teams had their moments in which they managed to impose their game plan, but the deeper bench of the Americans was clearly wearing the Spaniards down.

As every Hollywood celebrity, captain of industry, royalty, and high profile politician seemed to be in the gym tonight there was relatively little involvement from the crowd, that mainly watched a tactical game with relatively little entertainment value. But after all, this was not a circus act but the Olympic final. Teams USA played not to lose, and Spain played to not to lose with too much.

As fatigue started to play a role and the concentration level dropped, one of the Spanish stars, Juan Carlos Navarro, started to stack up turn-overs, bad decisions, and displayed an even worse shot selection. It was during these crucial moments that Team USA started to pull away and could eventually cruise control to the Gold Medal.

In a much more dominant fashion the women’s Team USA had done the same one day earlier in which they crushed France with 86-50. No team ever came close to Team USA at these Olympic and also not at the previous Olympic or at the previous international FIBA competition for that matter.

Women’s Team USA  has not lost in the Olympic group stage since women’s basketball was first introduced, and has only lost one single Olympic game in the last 30 years!!

Therefore, it is the women’s US Basketball team that should be called the “Dream Team”.

 

5 Comments

  1. frank the tank on August 13, 2012 at 15:47

    If Spain played a bit clever, the Men team would have been Boulevard of broken dreams

  2. SRN on August 13, 2012 at 11:22

    Against a USA team like this you have to roll the dice a bit to be able to win. Beating them on athleticism and penetration to the basket seems impossible. I think Navarro HAD TO force the issue. It worked the 1st half, it didn’t the 2nd. Nevertheless I disagree with the statement of Vladimir saying he lost the game. If he wouldn’t have tried to force the issue they would have lost for sure. Now he tried / shot and missed. At least he tried. The question is if he tried in a way with the best chance of success. I think he tried in a way with the ONLY chance of success. Navarro – well done!

  3. Vladimir Bondarenko on August 13, 2012 at 11:01

    Navarro threw the game away. He was forcing all the time, taking bad shots and losing every dribble. If he would have been more disciplinned, Spain might have had a chance.

    • Bergkamp on August 13, 2012 at 11:23

      If it was not Navarro, Spain will be down 30 pts.

  4. Antonio on August 13, 2012 at 11:00

    I agree. It is the women’s team that should be called “Dream Team”

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