Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy. I'm excited.

Today at about 4pm Spain time (or 10am ET USA time) the unbeaten USA team will meet the unbeaten Spain Team (and reigning world champions) in a preliminary round today of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Regardless of who wins or loses, if the two teams win-out (or by some other favorable combination) they'll likely meet again in the final as the Number 1 and Number 2 teams playing for the Gold Medal in a week's time. Good luck to both teams! I'm not sure whom I want to win!!

Saludos, MadridMan

¡Vaya, qué paliza! USA beat-up Spain for four quarters finishing with a brutal 119-82 preliminary round. The truth is, the Spanish national team look very very poor today, with terrible ball handling, turn-overs, poor shooting from the field and an overlook look of not so much helplessness but more of apathy.

I just hope Spain gets their act together to win the rest of their games and hopefully make it back to the final. Because it certainly doesn't look as if the USA has any chance of losing these rounds.

Saludos, MadridMan

now i know this is one of your sports MM but for the life of me i cannot understand why sports like basketball/tennis/ football are now being competed in the olmpics,dont get me wrong i love watching all the sports on tv, but these teams are all proffesional sportsmen earning millions of pounds/dollers in there chosen sport,my point is in tennis its stonewalled Nadal wins the tennis, the americans win the basketball the brazilians win the football, ive followed most sports and in sailing/swimming/archery and can go on. virtual unknowns are winning golds etc,after years of obscurity and endless months/years of training it all pays off,and all there emotions come out its fantastic, i just think in those other nailed on winners just turn up pick up a medal and go home, but in saying all that i shall still be glued to the box to watch ALL the games and enjoy them just as much

I actually agree with you, billy the man. I remember well "the good ol' days" when Olympic athletes had to be amateurs. But even then there was no balance because some countries were putting forward "professional amateurs" and we - the USA and other countries - couldn't compete. In a way, I understand and agree with the new ruling that THE BEST athletes can compete regardless of their status.

Today, Spain gave a similar beating to winless Angola just as the USA team gave to Spain a few days before. Let's see if USA and SPAIN meets in the final afterall.

Saludos, MadridMan

SPAIN MEETS USA FOR THE GOLD MEDAL MATCH tomorrow morning at 8:30am SPAIN time or 2:30am USA Eastern time. Either way, it'll be tough to wake up to watch it.

After the spanking USA gave Spain in the preliminary round I'm kind of afraid of what will happen now in the Gold Medal game. Yikes!

But good luck to both teams and play your best!!

Saludos, MadridMan

C'MON SPAIN YOU CAN DO IT !! PODEMOS !!

Spain played a great game, but it helps to have the best player in the world at the end.

See you all in November!

USA beat Spain for the gold medal, 118-107, leaving Spain to accept the silver medal.



While score doesn't sound all that close, USA scored 5 (?) points on Technical Fouls in the last few seconds because Spain's bench was penalized for being on its feet, protesting a no-call on the USA for travelling (again) with the ball.

While the officiating could've been much better, I don't think the outcome would've changed. Spain played a fantastic game today, unusually aggressive, pressing, and swarming to the ball for the most part. But the USA team is relentless, fast, fast with their hands, and totally overwhelming on the basketball court.

USA really had its hands full with Spain today and the game was quite close most of the time, Spain came within 2 points in the 4th quarter and things were very very exciting.

The Spanish team can be very very proud for their level of play today - something for which they truly lacked throughout the Olympics in basketball.

Congratulations to the USA team for not losing a single game and for beating their rivals (except in the final) by at least 20 points in each game.

Congratulations to the Spain team for representing Spain with honor and playing with your hearts in the final.

Today I'm a proud United Statesen AS WELL AS a proud resident of Spain.

Congratulations to both teams.

Ricky Rubio , on Spain's team, became the YOUNGEST player every to play on an Olympic basketball team - at 17 years old. And he played QUITE A LOT!!

Watch video of the last 1:20 of the game HERE - complete with 2 Technical Fouls called on Spain - with commentary by Spanish game announcers. Video is about 9 minutes long.

USAToday game article HERE and excerpt below.

Saludos, MadridMan

watched it, enjoyed it.

like you say MM the game was much closer than the score suggests,but you always had a sneaky feeling the USA were always holding the upper hand but the Spaniards put up a great fight to push them all/most of the way
great game

A big congrats to the US Team for winning the gold medal and to Spain for giving them a great match and a run for the gold!

This wasn't luck by any means but rather skill between the two best teams of the Olympics. Imagine the burden of having to win the gold medal, it being expected of you by your entire country and to play as greatly as the US did to go undefeated. My hats off to Spain for bringing their A game and having to make the US earn that medal. If there were able to award two golds, the other should go to Spain!

This was a good Olympics for Spain don't you agree? Lot's of notoriety and winning 5 gold, 10 silver and 3 bronze! Anyone happen to see the 2 man 500m kayak race a couple of days ago? Spain beat the heavily favorite Germans, Hungarians and Belorussians. They weren't favored to win or place. They shot out front and never gave up the lead. They just beat out Germany as the Germans poured on the power to almost catch the Spaniards. What an upset and race!!