Solid Gold

Living life like its golden

The Dynamic Duo

"While y'all was in limbo, I raised the bar up...I touched on everything...married to the game...rock a chain instead of wedding ring..."

Kayne West - The Glory

I named this story after a show that I used to watch in my youth...Solid Gold. It seemed appropriate as I wanted to give the US women's soccer and US women's beach volleyball teams their proper respect on GAME TIME. Before I get into the particulars, I'd like to give Marilyn McCoo a mention, while we were on the topic of the wildly popular TV series...because she is a champion in her own right.

I absolutely LOVE the Olympics and outside of men's and women's basketball, I enjoy softball, baseball, track and field, diving, swimming, archery, beach volleyball and no doubt women's soccer. 

Nike ran an ad campaign during the 2007 Women's World Cup for the US women's soccer team, as they were called the "Greatest Team You've Never Heard Of". It was a reverse psychology initiative as USA was the favorite, nevertheless, Brazil never got the memo as they shut out the USA 4-0 in the semi-final round. In Team USA's defense they played that match without the services of their ace goal keeper Hope Solo, however that is another story. 

To say that Brazil is the modern day rival is an understatement, move over Norway, there is another nemesis. The Brazilian women's team like their male counterpart, have superstars in Marta, and Cristiane. However Team USA playing without their superstar Abby Wambach 

did exceptionally well after their opening 0-2 loss to Norway, behind the play of Angela Hucles, Natasha Kai, Kate Markgraf, Christie Rampone, and Hope Solo. 

In the gold medal final it was a total team effort, as Solo shut out Brazil, and in extra-time at the 96th minute Carli Lloyd scored what would become the game winner, as USA outlasted the opposition 1-0. 

In women's beach volleyball, Misty May and Kerri Walsh continued their dominance over the world's best winning gold with style and teamwork. I first noticed this tandem during the 2004 Games in Athens, and while I've always been a fan of volleyball. Beach volleyball was new to me. May and Walsh are now as common and peanut butter and jelly. They are the best of the best.

They earned gold (without losing a single game throughout the Olympics) against host nation China, amidst rainy conditions which made for a tricky playing surface, by defeating Wang Jie and Tian Jia, in straight sets 21-18, and 21-18. Misty May and Kerri Walsh have now won 108 straight matches en route to back-to-back gold medals. 

Together they have made history as the best beach volleyball team to ever grace the sand. 

Stars and Stripes forever!

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

                                       God bless America

When I was in elementary school my older brother played both football, and futbol, so naturally the first sport I picked up was soccer. From the 5th grade through 8th, I starred on both offense and defense for my school's team. We were the Eagles and I wore the number 7 as a striker, and fullback. 

During the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, there were two things that I have enjoyed from the moment I saw it. I love all sports and when The Greatest, Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic torch I watched in joy, admiration, and disbelief. The other fond memory from the Games of the XXVI Olympiad was the victory by the US Women's Soccer team in the first ever women's soccer event. 

That is when the world watched as Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Brandi Chastain, and Carla Overbeck captured the gold as well as the hearts and minds of fans everywhere. 

Fast forward to the present day and the US Women's Soccer team is as dominant as ever, even after a tough FIFA Women's World Cup loss. I don't want to get into it too much, however I still believe that Hope Solo should have started and played in the semi-final defeat against Brazil. Nevertheless with the 2008 Summer Olympics on the horizon, the North and South American rivals squared off this week in San Diego with the red, white, and blue emerging victorious in a 1-0 hard fought win. Tasha Kai scored the winning goal, however the team lost Abby Wambach, the leading goal scorer and star with a broken leg.  Subsequently Wambach will miss the opportunity to compete when the Games begin in 3 weeks. 

With a fractured tibia and fibula she had surgery yesterday to have a titanium rod placed into her leg. This is a tough loss for the country and national team, however if one team can rally behind their fallen star its this one. 

Team USA is still considered one of the top teams in the world as they will vie for Olympic gold in Beijing come 8/8/08.