Usain Bolt and Jamaica Set New World Record in 4x100

Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter, and Michael Frater pose with the new world record they set to win gold in the 4x100. (Kerim Okten)

In order to beat Usain Bolt, you have to be extraordinarily good. The U.S. men took one last shot at taking him down in the 4x100 relay. Americans Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, and Ryan Bailey knew the task set before them was nearly impossible, but they would give it their best shot. Their best shot turned out to be very good. The U.S. time turned out to be 37.04 seconds, which tied the world record prior to the race. The problem was that wasn't good enough.

The Jamaicans were simply extraordinary once again. Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, and Usain Bolt ran a near flawless race to set a new world record of 36.84 seconds. While the world record was a team effort, it was one man who made all the difference. The Americans and Jamaicans were virtually tied going into the final exchange. That meant it was down to Bailey and Bolt. It soon became clear that it was all over. Bolt pushed through the finish line effortlessly in the lead.

For Usain Bolt, the world record was simply the icing on the cake of what he hoped to accomplish in London. In Beijing four years ago, he went a perfect three for three in gold medals. This summer Bolt did it again, winning gold in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100 relay. He now has six gold medals in six Olympic races. Bolt has already declared himself a legend, but doesn't appear to be done just yet.

Due to the Jamaicans world record setting race, the Americans were forced to settle for silver. The Canadians had the third fastest time, but were disqualified for running outside their lane. This meant that Trinidad and Tobago became the bronze medalist. It hasn't just been the Jamaicans beating up on the Americans. The Caribbean islands in general on the rise. The Bahamas ended the United States' run of seven straight Olympic golds in the 4x400 relay. Now, Trinidad and Tobago made it on the medal stand in the 4x100 relay. The Americans better watch out because it isn't just the Jamaicans and them anymore.

Social media and sports talk are ablaze with what will Usain Bolt do in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Can he sweep the golds again? Will he train for and run in the 400m? Is he the greatest athlete ever? Questions abound but for now Bolt has declined to answer. In my opinion, people should simply relish Bolt's accomplishments this summer. The Olympics only come around once every four years. I would prefer to appreciate the accomplishments of a man who did so much to prepare for these races. The bottomline is Usain Bolt is extraordinarily talented and successful.

Manteo Mitchell Breaks Leg But Still Finishes Leg of the Race

Despite breaking his leg half way through his leg, Manteo Mitchell endured the pain in order to complete his leg. (Kirby Lee) 

Running a relay race requires reliance between all members of the competing team. Without one of the runners, the race simply cannot be completed. One of the most important relay races for Team USA is the men's 4x400. After all, the Americans have won gold in the event every year since 1976, expect for the 1980 boycott. That means that Team USA had immense pressure to perform well in this race.

Being up first, American Manteo Mitchell knew that he had to set the pace for the rest of his team. At the 50m mark, his left ankle felt like it was cramping up. As Mitchell reached the 100m mark, his leg began to feel even stranger. Shortly following the 200m mark, he finally heard and felt the bone break. Rather then let his teammates down, Mitchell kept running as best he could. He still finished his leg in 45 seconds and handed the baton off to teammate Josh Mance. The American relay team finished the semifinal race tied for the fastest time with the Bahamas at two minutes and 58.87 seconds.

Mitchell's experience must have been excruciating. He explained what happened to reporters, "As soon as I took the first step past the 200m mark, I felt it break. I heard it. I even put out a little war cry, but the crowd was so loud you couldn't hear it. I wanted to just lie down. It felt like somebody literally just snapped my leg in half." However, Mitchell didn't give into his pain and stop. He pushed himself to complete his leg and get his teammate the baton to keep running.

Doctors confirmed that Mitchell broke his left fibula during the race. Three days prior, he had fallen going up stairs at Olympic Village. Mitchell landed awkwardly, but was cleared to race due to no apparent injuries. The race was obviously too much for the weakened bone. However, the broken bone was not too much to impede Mitchell from finishing. Without Mitchell's valiant efforts, the Americans wouldn't be in the 4x400 final. His courage and determination should be inspirational to us all.

Zonderland Wins Netherlands' First Men's Gymnastics Gold

Epke Zonderland, known as the Flying Dutchman, wowed the crowd and easily won Olympic gold in the men's high bar. (Thomas Coex) 

Gymnastics is one of many ever-changing sports in the Olympics. As athletes continue to get stronger and the routines get bigger and bigger, what is necessary to win gold has evolved as well. Men's high bar is an excellent example of this. A number of rule changes have allowed gymnasts to perform bigger moves that are higher risk. But with the risk, there is definitely great reward.

With news of these new routines coming to light, many people gathered to see what was in store for this Summer Olympics. One of the first gymnasts to compete in the high bar was American star Danell Leyva. He competently performed a routine that was scored a 7.2 difficulty level. In years past, that would had been Olympic gold worthy. However, the crowd knew that we were just getting warmed up in the North Greenwich Arena.

The reigning Olympic and world champion Zou Kai of China was expected to be the favorite to repeat. His solid routine of a 7.9 difficulty left many thinking that it was all over. Then, Fabian Hambüchen of Germany took center stage. His impressive performance from start to finish catapulted him into first. After Hambüchen finished, he let out a yell in exclamation. What he didn't know was that his time in first place was short lived.

The next gymnast to perform was Epke Zonderland of the Netherlands. He is known as the Flying Dutchman for his willingness to fling his body through the air throughout his daredevil routines. Zonderland has been considered to be one of the world's best on high bar, but what was missing from his resume was that he had never won an Olympic medal.

Zonderland opened his routine with three straight release moves that had absolutely no pause in between them. He was a blur throughout as he flew higher and higher. As the Flying Dutchman finally landed, he let out a roar as the crowd cheered. His performance was so incredible that it has been described as "unprecedented." The judges rewarded Zonderland with a score of 16.533, a number so high that it is rarely seen outside of vault. The next gymnast, American Jonathan Horton, simply laughed and shook his head. He knew that neither him nor anyone else could hope to match or exceed Zonderland's incredible mark.

What makes the performance even more special for Zonderland is what it means to his country. His gold medal is their first ever in men's artistic gymnastics and only their second overall. Their other was a women's team gold way back in 1928. Zonderland told reporters, "It's unique to be in a Olympic final if you're a Dutch gymnast, but winning the gold is bizarre. I worked so long to achieve a result like this. This is amazing." The Flying Dutchman put an aerial display that won't soon be forgotten because of the majesty and power that he displayed throughout his performance.

Aly Raisman Wins Gold and Bronze to Cap Off Her Olympics

Aly Raisman finished off her Olympics in style with a bronze on balance beam and a gold on floor exercise. (Emmanuel Dunand)

Women's gymnastics is an emotional sport full of ups and downs. If you have been following the U.S. women known as the Fierce Five, you have seen the drama unfold before you. Jordyn Wieber's tears at failing to qualify for the individual all-around opened the eyes of viewers to the pain of one less than perfect performance. The Fierce Five then came together to dominate the team all-around competition to win the gold. Gabrielle Douglas emerged as the face of the team with her bubbling personality and winning of the gold in the individual all-around. As the rest of the team continued to experience ups and down, Aly Raisman waited patiently for her time to come.

Raisman came into the Olympics somewhat under the radar. She didn't carry the high expectations that Wieber carried in. As Douglas emerged as the all-around star, the spotlight shined brightest on her. Today was the final day of women's gymnastics for this Olympics. It was also Raisman's time to perform on the balance beam and floor exercise.

Expectations weren't too high for Raisman on the balance beam. With other gymnasts favored more heavily, she just went about putting forth her best effort. Original results had Raisman finishing fourth, the same place she finished in the individual all-around after ending up on the wrong side of a tiebreaker. However, at the request of her coach, the judges reviewed her score. They found that some of her moves were indeed connected and gave her the additional points. Raisman's new score put her in a tie for the bronze medal. This time the tiebreaker favored her, and she was granted the bronze medal.

Full of confidence after winning the unexpected medal, Raisman decided to go out and leave it all on the mat in the floor exercise. Her routine had an extra crispness throughout. Raisman's difficult tumbling passes were smooth as silk, and her landings were as secure and confident as can be hoped for. Following Raisman's eclipsing finish, she saluted the judges and even mouthed "wow" in surprise. After her score of 15.6 from the judges was displayed, teammate McKayla Maroney yelled "Whoa!" so loudly that everyone could hear her.

Timing is so crucial to the sport of gymnastics. As has now been revealed, Jordyn Wieber has been competing injured. What is likely a stress fracture in her right leg clearly affected her ability to perform to the best of her ability. Gabrielle Douglas had long struggled with a lack of focus. She was able to put that behind her to win the individual all-around gold. Aly Raisman simply had to wait for her time to come. It turned out to be the last day of competition. Her floor performance left little doubt to how good she is. Raisman's patience was rewarded with three medals, the most of any of the Fierce Five. When it is all said and done, this has been an excellent performance by the U.S. gymnastics women. They should be proud of their efforts and how things turned out.

Alex Morgan Lifts USA Past Canada in Epic Olympic Semifinal

Alex Morgan's header in the final minute of stoppage time propelled the U.S. women past Canada to a 4-3 victory. (Mark J. Rebilas)

Knowing that reigning World Cup champion Japan awaited the winner in the gold medal match, the United States and Canada squared off in the second pivotal semifinal. While the U.S. women had won 26 straight matches against their northern neighbors over the past 11 years, they knew they would have to play well to contain the most dangerous player on the field, Canadian striker Christine Sinclair. The match gained an added edge when Canadian manager John Herdman accused the U.S. side of illegal tactics on set pieces. Needless to say, there was energy in the air as the match got under way.

The United States took control of the match early on, especially in the midfield. Their quickness to the ball setup a number of crosses into the box. Defensively, the U.S. women did well to hold Sinclair in check. Sinclair and the Canadian attack were buying their time waiting for a defensive lapse. Their opportunity came in the 23rd minute when a run by Canadian defender Marie-Eve Nault caught the United States off guard. Nault played it to Melissa Trancredi who found Sinclair for the easy goal. Just like that, it was 1-0 Canada.

That's how the score remained until the 54th minute, when the Americans got just a bit lucky. Marking up on a corner, Canadian defender Desiree Scott left the near post to double-team dangerous American Alex Morgan. Megan Rapinoe's cross bent and ended up in the net going directly through the spot vacated by Scott. With that the score was level at 1-1.

Fourteen minutes later, Canada found their answer. Sinclair connected on a cross from Trancredi to give them another one goal advantage. The lead was short lived as Rapinoe buried a bullet from inside the box for her second equalizer. Sinclair and the Canadiens weren't done just yet either. A corner kick off the foot of Sophie Schmidt found Sinclair in the air to complete her hat trick. Canada had taken the crucial 3-2 advantage.

In the 80th minute, the game took a controversial turn with a pair of questionable calls by Norwegian referee Christiana Pedersen. The first came when she whistled Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod for holding the ball longer than six seconds. It is an extremely rare call to make, especially given the time left in the game. The call gave the United States an indirect free kick right inside the area. Rapinoe took the kick and blasted it at the Canadian wall. The ball glanced off the elbow of Canada's Nault. Pedersen immediately awarded the Americans a penalty kick, ignoring once again the time on the clock and the fact that Nault appeared to have her arms close to her chest. Regardless, American Abby Wambach scored the penalty kick off the left post to tie the score 3-3.

Both the United States and Canada had their opportunities in the final minutes of regulation, but neither could find the winner. The script appeared to be the same in the period of extra time. However, in the final minute of stoppage time, the U.S. women appeared to have a little bit of Olympic magic left in them. Subsitute Heather O'Reilly sent a long cross into the Canadian box. Alex Morgan's header on the end of it found the net from six yards out. That meant the United States had comeback to beat Canada 4-3 to advance to the gold medal match.

My first reaction is to give my condolences to the Canadian women. They really played their hearts out. Christine Sinclair's performance was truly one for the ages. I sincerely believe that Pedersen, the referee, missed both those pivotal calls. The six-second goalkeeping call is almost always precluded by a warning. Canada's keeper McLeod was given no such warning. The hand ball call could have gone either way, but given the efforts of the defender and the nature of the timing of the game, I think a no call would have been the more advisable one. Regardless, Canada will take on France next with the bronze medal on the line. The Canadiens are seeking their first Summer Olympics medal in a traditional team sport since 1936.

The U.S. women were on the verge of missing the gold-medal match for the first time. Three times they faced a one-goal deficit. Each time they managed to find an answer when they needed it. Yes, there was some luck gained and grace bestowed upon them by the official, but those weren't the main thing that made the difference. That was the U.S. women's determination and unwillingness to give up when the going got tough. They are the better team for it. Now, they square off in a much anticipated rematch with the Japanese. Last summer, the Americans were defeated by the Japanese in penalty kicks in the World Cup final. It will be interesting to see how both sides come out with a gold medal on the line for the victor.

Mo Farah Wins 10,000m Gold For Great Britain

Mo Farah's hard work paid off as he won the gold medal in the 10,000m for Great Britain. (Stu Forster)

Mo Farah was born in Somalia, but at a young age moved to London to live with his English father. He struggled in school, but excelled in athletics. A number of adults saw Farah's potential and made sacrifices to push him to succeed. He continued to be held back by a lack of motivation and poor lifestyle choices.

A transformation in Farah's life began after he lived with a group of Kenyans. They taught him the importance of commitment and hard work. Disappointment came for Farah in Beijing when he failed to qualify for the 5,000m final. He vowed to give everything to become the best in the world. In the 2010 European championship, Farah won double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m, but his time in the latter was still more than two minutes slower than the world record.

In preparation for this summer's Olympics in Great Britain, he made the difficult decision to leave his wife and daughter to travel to Portland, Oregon to train with American runner Galen Rupp and coach Alberto Salazar. The two pushed each other to get stronger and stronger. Today was the day when they would find out if their hard work would pay off. With the Ethiopian Bekele brothers and Eritrean Zersenay Tadese among the favorites, Farah and Rupp knew they would have to run their best to have a shot at medaling.

As is expected with a long race like this, the pace started slow and got faster and faster as the race progressed. With the favorites among the leaders, it came down to the final lap to determine who would medal. That is when Farah and Rupp made their move. The duo took the lead as the British crowed cheered their countryman on. The Bekele brothers made a push to pass them, but it was too little too late.

Farah and Rupp came across the finish line as the gold and silver medal winners respectively. Elation was on both their faces as the two great friends embraced. Both made history with their accomplishment. Farah became the first Briton to win the event. Rupp became the first American to medal in the event since 1964. Ethiopian Tariku Bekele had to settle for third. Farah's gold medal was the coronation of a great day for the hosts. The joy on the faces of Mo Farah, his wife Tania, and seven-year-old daughter Rihanna was just the beautiful icing on the cake.

France Gets Revenge Against USA in 4x100 Freestyle Relay

The French 4x100 relay team celebrate their come-from-behind victory to win the gold medal Sunday night. (Mark Terrill)

Since its inception, the Summer Olympics 4x100 freestyle relay has been one of the most highly contested competitions of all. Its history has been full of trash-talking, surprising upsets, and exciting finishes. In Beijing four years ago, France were the favorites to win it all. With a substantial lead going into the final leg, Alain Bernard looked like he would be able to bring the French the gold. However, American anchor Jason Lezak started to make a move down the stretch. Exerting all his effort, Lezak just beat out Bernard by 0.08 seconds to bring Team USA the upset victory.

This year's installment lived up to the billing of excitement as well. The Australians were the heavy favorites to win the gold, led off by James "The Missle" Magnussen. The United States relay team, featuring Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, was among the other top contenders, along with France and dark horse Russia.

A shockingly poor first leg by Magnussen seemed to completely throw the Aussies out of sync. The United States took full advantage, building a substantial lead. France and Russia hung back just off the pace. American Cullen Jones gave Lochte, the anchor, a full second lead. But then all of a sudden, French anchor Yannick Agnel began to make his move. As the final stretch wore on, he got stronger and stronger before finally passing Lochte and winning the gold by 0.45 seconds.

While the French celebrated, the United States had to settle for silver. Meanwhile, Australia, the favorite, got beat out by Russia for the bronze. For France, winning the gold was sweet vengeance served. Agnel swam a beautiful final leg. At just 20 years of age, he is one of the bright young international stars of the sport. It will be interesting to see if this result will have any carry over effect into the rest of the swimming that is still to come.

Ryan Lochte Dominates Field to Win 400 IM Gold Medal

US swimmer Ryan Lochte proudly displays his first gold medal and patriotic dental work. (Fabrice Coffrini)

Very few Olympic swimmers marched in the Opening Ceremony. The long standing duration during the parade would be too much for many of them who began competition today. One of those races today was the men's 400 IM. What made this race an even bigger deal is that it was the first of the much anticipated head-to-head battles between Americans Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

Phelps, of course, is an Olympic legend. In his final Olympics, he looks to go out in golden glory. In the four years since Beijing, Lochte has become the greatest swimmer in the world. Phelps claimed none of that mattered until Lochte proved it on an Olympic stage. Their first opportunity came tonight.

Lochte got a great start right out of the starting blocks. As the race wore on, he seemed to get stronger. Phelps stayed in contention through the first 200 meters, but then started to lose pace the rest of the way. After Lochte led the butterfly leg, Phelps' best stroke, it seemed certain that it was all but over. The only question that remained going into the final leg was whether or not Lochte could beat Phelps' world record.

As it turned out, Lochte (4:05.18) didn't quite have enough left in the tank to capture the record, but he still won the gold by a wide margin. Brazil's Thiago Pereira (4:08.86) and Japan's Kosuke Hagino won the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Meanwhile, Phelps (4:09.28) finished off the medal podium at a disappointing fourth.

For Lochte, the gold medal has to be rewarding. Even though he is the greatest swimmer in the world, he continues to be overshadowed by Phelps. At this point in their careers, Lochte is simply the superior athlete. The main advantages Phelps had coming into the Olympics were experience and confidence. His experience clearly didn't matter in this race. It is uncertain how this will affect Phelps' confidence. He's never really experienced failure, so it will be interesting to see how he bounces back. Round One goes to Ryan Lochte in convincing fashion, but there's still much more swimming to come.

LeBron James Helps Team USA Survive Test From Brazil

LeBron James and Team USA held Anderson Varejao and the Brazilians just out of reach in their 80-69 victory Monday night. (Patrick Smith)

When Team USA destroyed the Dominican Republic by 54 points last week in their first pre-Olympic exhibition, many naive Americans thought Team USA would simply waltz its way to gold medals, like they did in 2008. While many worried about the debate of whether or not this is the best "dream team" ever, they failed to look at the potential flaws and shortcoming of this team.

Team USA got a wakeup call right away from the Team Brazil. After all, the Brazilians do have four current NBA players (Nene, Leandro Barbosa, Anderson Varejao, and Tiago Splitter) and a handful of other international talent. However, it was a former NBA guard Alex Garcia, who took the game over early. Garcia scored 12 points to help build the Brazilians lead to 10 after the first quarter.

Nene came up with a huge slam dunk and a block of Kobe Bryant on the other end as Brazil's lead stood at 29-21. That's when the Americans responded. They scored 12 points unanswered and turned up the pressure defensively. During the second quarter, the Brazilians had 12 turnovers with only nine field goal attempts. Team USA was up 37-32 at the break.

The Americans continued the offensive attack and defensive intensity, but could not seem to put Brazil away. The Brazilians even pulled within six points late in the fourth quarter. Team USA did finally put them away for the hard fought win. LeBron James led the way with 30 points. Kevin Durant had 11 points and Chris Paul added 10 of his own for Americans.

What did this exhibition tell us about Team USA? They are far from invincible. Their inability to truly put away Brazil shows that they weren't that much more superior of a side. The front court is clearly a weakness. It's not that they are bad, but the lack of size is apparent. We learned that Team USA's road to the gold won't be a walk in the park. They are still the favorites, but they should be careful to not get overconfident.

Ryan Lochte Beats Michael Phelps in 400 IM Trial

Ryan Lochte swims during the men's 400-meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. (Mark J. Terrill)

While all the hype seems to be building around Michael Phelps' return to the Olympics, Ryan Lochte is the one who keeps beating Phelps head-to-head. At last year's world championships, it was Lochte who won five gold medals and both head-to-head races against Phelps.

After setting the world record in the 400-meter individual medley at the 2008 Olympics, Phelps stated that he was done with the grueling event. Besides Phelps, no one knew whether he would stick to his word or try to win another medal in London. It turned out Phelps decided to give the race one last shot.

This set the stage for a showdown between Lochte, Phelps, and Tyler Clary. Clary had finished second behind Lochte in last year's world championship. The three men were battling for two spots in London in the race. Into the pool they went tonight with those very spots up for grabs. Phelps built the early lead on his best stroke, the butterfly leg. When they switched to breaststroke, Lochte took the lead and didn't look back. His lead held strong to the end, beating Phelps by about a half-body length. Clary finished a distant and disappointing third.

This means that we have at least one rematch between Lochte and Phelps in London to look forward to. Phelps is looking to add to his already record 14 gold medals. The very fact that he is even participating in this grueling race shows that he was regained motivation to finish his final Olympics strong. Lochte is looking to prove himself in London. He has shown himself to be dominant at the world championships, but this is the Olympics. Will Lochte be able to take the baton of dominance from Phelps and carry it on himself? We will find out in about one month's time.

Brazilians Bring U.S. National Team a Reality Check

Marcelo celebrates his goal with teammates Neymar and Hulk. (AP Photo)

The U.S. Men's National Team came into tonight's game with much hype. They had won five straight, including a convincing 5-1 win over Scotland. However, the team they were about to play wasn't anything like the Scots. This was a real test. Brazil.

In their history, the U.S. came into tonight's match with a 1-15-1 record against the Brazilians. Granted this was basically Brazil's Olympic team. In the Olympics, teams are limited to players under 23 years old and three older players.  So there was a glimmer of hope for a potential upset bid by the confident Americans.

The glimmer vanished fairly quickly. The Americans started out trying to create for Hercules Gomez, who started at striker. The Brazilians' first chance can when Hulk dribbled through the center of the U.S. defense and into the box. His blast forced a quality save by goalkeeper Tim Howard. Howard didn't get an opportunity to save the next shot because Leandro Damiao's shot inadvertently struck the arm of American center back Oguchi Onyewu. Despite the protests of the Americans, the referee immediately awarded the Brazilians the penalty kick. Young phenom Neymar buried it to gain the 1-0 advantage.

The Americans tried to counter, but Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael would have none of it. In the 26th minute, Brazil capitalized on some poor defending, as Silva's header found the net off a corner. The Americans showed signs of life before the end of the first half. Michael Bradley played a nice through ball to Fabian Johnson on the outside. Johnson played a low cross in that found the head of Gomez to trim the deficit to one.

But in the second half, it was the Brazilians who capitalized on their opportunities. In the 55th minute, Neymar cut through the U.S. defense and found Marcelo for the easy goal. The Americans had opportunities to get back in it, but couldn't find the net. Their best opportunity probably came in the 63rd minute. Gomez had a powerful shot that was beautifully saved by Rafael. His rebound though came right out to Terrence Boyd. Boyd's blast was amazingly denied by Rafael as well. In the 87th minute, substitute Pato put the icing on the cake, as he scored to make it 4-1 off a nice cross from Marcelo.

The main difference in this game is that the Brazilians capitalized on their opportunities, while the Americans did not. While the Americans may claim that the score was not indicative of the game, the bottomline is that you have to score to win. The Brazilians have understood that concept for decades. The backline for the U.S. clearly had holes exploited. They need to be much tighter in order to give Howard a chance to succeed. Finally, the Americans did way too much complaining, especially their leader, Landon Donovan. There were some questionable calls, including the hand-ball in the box, but that is always going to be the case. Donovan spent way too much time whining, rather than actually creating chances. He clearly needs to set a better example on the field. The Americans are making progress, but this is a reminder that there is still a long ways to go.

U.S. Men's Soccer Lets 2012 Olympic Berth Slip Through Their Fingers

The U.S. Men's U-23 team had the talent to make a big impact in the 2012 Olympics in London. Things looked promising after a 6-0 demolition of Cuba. But their next game against Canada showcased something different. The U.S. was outplayed in every aspect of the game in a 2-0 loss to the Canadians. The Americans looked inept offensively and had huge holes defensively. The Canadians' win over the U.S. was their first since 1992.

The U.S. loss meant they had to beat El Salvador to avoid elimination from Olympic qualifying. The Americans began well when Brek Shea's cross found Terrence Boyd for the cross range volley to get the U.S. off the schneid. However, things took a turn for the worse when American goalkeeper Bill Hamid tweaked his left ankle. Either Hamid refused to come off or coach Caleb Porter didn't think it was serious enough to require a subbing, but either way the U.S. paid the price. Within six minutes, El Salvador scored twice to take the lead. Porter then subbed in backup Sean Johnson for the injured Hamid. The U.S. though found the equalizer and took the lead 3-2 when Joe Corona found the net in the 68th minute.

The U.S. held off El Salvador through to the end of the regular time. The game was rough on both sides, so as a result, there was 4 minutes of stoppage time added. The Americans continued to do well holding the lead and even had a few opportunities to score of their own. As the seconds ticked away, El Salvador rushed the ball up field to get one last chance. El Salvadorian Jamie Alas took a deep, low shot that hit U.S. keeper Sean Johnson in the hands. However, he played the ball wrong, and it flipped over his body and into the net.

The final whistle blew, and the score was tied. El Salvador's last second heroics ended the U.S. Olympic dreams. Johnson played well as a backup, but he will be remembered by the fumble that cost the U.S. the game. It really isn't his fault at all though. This team had the talent, but didn't show it consistently. The loss to Canada is inexcusable and so is the overall lack of urgency at the end of the El Salvador game. The Americans will have to watch from across the pond as other teams compete for a gold medal that could have been theirs. The U.S. will be missing the Olympics for only the second time since 1976. Today has certainly been a disappointing day for U.S. soccer and this team.

Canadians...and Russians...and Americans...Oh My! [International College Hockey Adds An Exciting Twist]

It's a unique challenge for everyone involved; no matter if they represent the stars and stripes, salute the maple leaf, or wear red as they cross the Pacific. 


Face it. When American college hockey meets a Russian select team or takes on a neighboring Canadian squad, things can get exciting. Even in exhibition match-ups.


An "all-star team of Russia's junior league"; that's how one online article accurately described just who these Russian Red Star players actually are (http://rt.com/sport/hockey/mhl-red-stars-hockey/). These outstanding players from the junior level have been pooled together and shipped to the United States to play eight games, with six games against NCAA opponents, the finale being tonight's game against UMass-Lowell.

Thus far, the Red Stars have played well, yet can only claim a single victory to date.
     Loss: 1-5 (North Dakota)
     Win:  6-1 (Vermont)
     Loss: 4-6 (Yale)
     Loss: 2-3 (Northern Michigan)
     Loss: 1-2 (Notre Dame)

Despite the 1-4 record, the Russian Red Stars have only been outscored 17-14. They have a chance to leave a good taste in their mouth tonight, as they close out their trip at 7:00pm in Massachusetts.

                                                                   *    *   *
The Western Ontario Mustangs hold a solid record back in Canada: 13-7 overall, with a 13-3 conference record. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, that record has not translated well across the border.
   
     Loss: 0-4 (Notre Dame)
     Loss: 1-6 (Michigan State)
     Loss: 4-7 (Harvard)
     Loss: 2-4 (Dartmouth)
     Loss: 2-3 (Lake Superior State)

Despite being outscored 24-9 in five games, the Mustangs can hope that the experience will only boost their season as they re-start collegiate play back in Canada. These are college kids, after all; it doesn't take rocket science to look at the results, find the film tape, and learn how to improve. The Mustangs should be ready for a big second half of the season.

When international teams face off at the rink, it provides a bit of incentive for exhibition games.
There is the opportunity to improve skills.
There's the chance to tune-up for the weekends conference game.
There the possibility for the third and fourth lines to get some extra time on the ice.

And, of course, there's national pride.


http://www.westernmustangs.ca/index.aspx?path=mhockey (Western Ontario)
http://rt.com/sport/hockey/mhl-red-stars-hockey/  (Article on Red Stars)
http://www.uscho.com/   (US College Hockey Online)

Friendly Fire: A Look at Some of the Action on 11/15/11

New U.S. Men's National Soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann has taken a lot of heat for how much the team has been struggling. Since Klinsmann took over, had been outscored 5-2 and had a record of 1-4-1. The team dropped to 34th in the latest Fifa rankings and finished last year 6-8-3, their worst record since 1994.

Coach Klinsmann decided to change his lineup formation. To help make up for a lack of scoring, he changed in to a very offensively minded 4-4-2. On a fog-filled night the U.S. got to test their new lineup in a World Cup rematch with Slovenia. The U.S. attack responded with three goals and some desperate defending and great saves by Tim Howard gave the U.S. a 3-2 victory.

The U.S.'s old coach, Bob Bradley, was in action with his new team as well. Egypt started well against Brasil, but then the Brasilians took over. Brasil had no shortage of good opportunities on the attack. Jonas scored the only two goals of the game and almost had a third in Brasil 2-0 win.

A weakened Uruguay team pulled off a stunning victory in Rome 1-0 over Italy. Uruguay was without four of its best players do to injuries and fatigue. In the 3rd minute, Sebastian Fernandez scored for Uruguay. Despite Italy's large edge in shots and shots on goal, Urugauy did enough to keep them from scoring.

Germany is starting to look like the best team in the world after a convincing 3-0 win over the Netherlands, who is the #2 ranked team in Fifa's current rankings. Prior to this, Germany finished World Cup qualifying with a perfect 10 wins in 10 games. In this friendly, Mirslov Klose scored one goal and had assists on the other two.

The #1 ranked team and defending World Cup Champions, Spain, got all the could ask for and more from Costa Rica. Costa Rica controlled the first half and led 2-0 at the intermission. Spain played better in the second half, but couldn't find the net until David Silva finally scored in the 83rd minute. David Villa added another in the 90th minute to help Spain salvage a 2-2 draw in a game they could have easily lost.

Fifa's current rankings: http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html