A "NO-CHANCE, NO-WIN" SITUATION

Argentinean stalwart and NBA superstar Manu Ginobili says Argentina has no chance of beating the Redeem Team.

American and NBA megastars Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony huarantee that Argentina has no chance at all of beating the Redeem Team.

Seems to me like the Ugly Americans have already lost the worldwide basketball community to the unselfish, team basketball oriented and back-to-basics Argentineans.

Hope the Redeem Team gets their collective asses handed to them.

THE GOLDEN GIRLS!

The US Women's soccer team just got back at old nemesis, Brazil, and have, once again, emerged as Olympic golden girls.

HOW BAD DO THE AMERICAN WOMEN'S TEAM WANT TO BEAT UP BRAZIL?

This bad.

REDEEM TEAM 2: US WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM

Last year, they lost 4-0...

...in the Women's World Cup...

...to bitter rival Brazil...

...who offended them by displays of celebration up to the team's shared hotel lobby.

This year, the two teams meet again for the the Olympic crown. The Americans are missing star striker Abby Wambach who, ironically, broke her leg in two places when a Brazilian defender crashed into her in their last Olympic warm up match (yes, it is fishy).

So many storylines abound that I'm just going to go with the top 3:

3) How will the pretty but controversial US goalkeeper Hope Solo handle this championship game?

2) Will the exciting Brazilian star, Marta, crush the US midfield?

1) Will the US women retain their Olympic crown against their World Cup tormentors? 

While we wait for the game, let's take a peek at the US women's commercial.

WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP?

This is why Filipinos don't excel in volleyball...it's because when our opponents jump up, the top of the net is right BELOW their chests. 

When our players jump up, the net is right around our forearms.

Which is why we should play soccer instead.

ARGENTINA FACES USA AGAIN!

It all came down to one shot.

After 39 minutes and 55 seconds of intense basketball, it was going to come down to one shot, a three pointer for the win by Vasileos Spanoulis, one of Greece's best players.

Fortunately for Argentina, it was a little long and a little to the right, preserving the Argentinean 2point lead and giving the South Americans their own crack at the Redeem Team.

It was, as predicted, the best basketball game in the Olympics yet. Here are some numbers:

15 - number of lead changes. 

5 - biggest Greek lead

7 - biggest Argentinean lead

23 - Manu Ginobili's points

6 - Manu's three pointers

22 - Carlos Delfino's points

5 - Carlos Delfino's three pointers

17 and 10 - Antonios Fotsis' points and rebounds

9 and 7 - Vasileos Spanoulis' points and rebounds

0 (for 2) - Spanoulis' made three pointers before he took the final three pointer.

USA TROUNCES AUSTRALIA!

This is why they brought Kobe Bryant to Beijing.

Against a team that wasn't intimidated by the NBA mystique, a team with a speedster faster than Chris Paul, with big men as polished and skilled as the American centers were big and powerful, Team USA needed someone to set them apart.

Kobe made sure he did it for them. After being content with being the 3rd, 4th even 5th option on offense, Black Mamba exploded for 25pts and 6 three pointers.

More importantly, he did it every time the Aussies managed to put together a decent run to bring the American lead down. Team USA owes Kobe one, no doubt about that.

THE GOLDEN GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN SMILE BRINGS HOME THE GOLD!

At 4'9", Shawn Johnson is considered the most powerful among the crack US Women's Gymnastics Team. She has also proven to be the best in the past year and a half, beating the top Chinese gymnasts as well as teammate Nastia Liukin consistently in 2007.

In these Olympiuc Games, she has had to settle for 3 silvers, finishing next to the Chinese girls and Liukin. Today, however, the pretty, vivacious and cheerful girl won over the Chinese crowd with her flawless routine and her perfect smile.

. 

THROW MY JAVELIN PLEASE?

Olympic girl watchers, here's someone else to make your day.

Leryn Franco is a Paraguayan model, beauty queen and javelin thrower who is currently winning over Chinese hearts in Beijing. 

While she failed to make it to the final round, I doubt if any of her male followers noticed.

OLYMPIC GAMES TO WATCH OUT FOR

We're on to the quarterfinal round of the Olympic Men's Basketball tournament and it's time to jot down the top 3 games you should be watching out for.

At number 3, we have China versus Lithuania. This should be a humdinger as we see two teams with games that are anti-thesis to each other. China was the Great Wall of Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and Sun Yue while Lithuania has sharpshooting Linas Kleiza and Sarunas Jasikevecius. This is going to be inside dominance versus outside shooting and my guess is...China. Seriously. I think the Mean Red Chinese Machine will crack down on the Lithuanians to forge the upset of the tourney, setting off Chinese fans into deranged celebrations.  

  

At number 2, we have Greece versus Argentina. The Greeks are big, physical and fearless. The Argentinians are polished, skilled and equally fearless. This should be the one of the best Olympic games ever IF both teams are on their games. Theodoros Papaloukas, Vasileios Spanoulis, Dimitris Diamantidis and Sofoklis Schortsanitis should shine while the NBA quartet of Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni, Luis Scola and Fabricio Oberto should lead the Argentine cause. My prediction...Argentina...but really, really close.

And finally, the Redeem Team versus the Boomers. A couple of weeks ago, the Aussie Team lost to the US Team by about 12pts...playing without their best player, Andrew Bogut.

Now, after Bogut's 23pts explosion against Lithuania (shooting 3-3 on three pointers), the Boomers are brimming with confidence. The key here may be Mills, the speedy Aussie guard who flew by Chris Paul several times in their last meeting. If Bogut, Anstley and Mills hit their strides, this game won't be a blowout. For the Americans, I only need 4 names: Kobe. LBJ. Wade. Bosh. My prediction: USA by less than 20.

 

GOLD FOR GUO!

Pretty Guo Jingjing from China wins her 4th olympic gold in diving as she obliterated her opposition in the women's 3m springboard competition.

With her diving feat, Guo becomes the most bemedalled female Chinese diver and her score of 415.35 is the highest ever recorded in the event.

Guo also plans to retire after the Beijing Games but will, no doubt, remain in the spotlight as China's most visible model-spokeswoman-athlete.