The Sportsletter - Dream Teams & A Gold Rush

BY JEFF YODER

AUG. 7, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

Yesterday’s Day 12 of the Olympics featured some of the best action yet. The U.S. women’s soccer team scored an extra-time winner in the semifinals. A “gold rush” on the track saw two Americans run wild for must-see, gold-medal finishes. And to top things off, all four basketball quarterfinals featured the best players in the world all in one gym. The “dream teams” are still alive — only four days left in Paris.

Letter Rip!

  MEDAL TRACKER   🏅

*Accurate Through Midnight, Aug. 5 / Click Image for Updated Medal Count 

6. 🇯🇵 Japan (29 medals), 7. 🇰🇷 South Korea (26 medals), 8. 🇮🇹 Italy (26 medals), 9. 🇳🇱 Netherlands (19 medals), 10. 🇨🇦 Canada (18 medals) | Full Medal Count

  OLYMPICS   🏅

Next! — Team USA in Golden Form

Photo: Tom Weller / VOIGT / Getty Images

Men's Basketball: 🇺🇸 Team USA Obliterates 🇧🇷 Brazil With Full-Team Effort in Wire-to-Wire Quarterfinal Win (122-87)

Next! One quarter was all I needed to see before I started writing this story. The USA men’s basketball team stomped Brazil in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (122-87) with a 35-point blowout — their biggest win yet. They hardly broke a sweat. Devin Booker (18 points) and Joel Embiid (14 points) caught the hot hands early with eight 3s between the pair on just 10 attempts. Anthony Edwards (17 points) and Anthony Davis (13 points) provided some highlight-reel plays while LeBron James was the court general (12 points, 9 assists). LeBron’s transition passing carved Brazil to pieces as Team USA waltzed into the semifinals. Like we said: Next!

What Lies Ahead: The U.S. will get Serbia for the third time in three weeks in the semifinals on Thursday. They won the first two meetings by 26 points each. Like we said: Next!

Top Scorers (Team USA)

Devin Booker: 18 points (5/7, 3-pt)

Anthony Edwards: 17 points (6/10, FG)

Joel Embiid: 14 points, 7 rebounds (3/3, 3-pt)

Anthony Davis: 13 points, 8 rebounds

LeBron James: 12 points, 9 assists

Watch: Team USA Smashes Brazil in Quarterfinals (122-87)

Other Men’s Basketball Quarterfinals

🇷🇸 Serbia def. 🇦🇺 Australia (95-90, OT)

Nikola Jokic (21 pts, 14 rebs) Leads 24-pt Comeback

🇫🇷 France def. 🇨🇦 Canada (82-73)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 27 pts Not Enough

🇩🇪 Germany def. 🇬🇷 Greece (76-63)

Franz Wagner (18 pts) & Dennis Schroder (13 pts)

Men’s Basketball Semifinals

🇫🇷 France vs. 🇩🇪 Germany (Thurs. 11:30 am)

🇺🇸 USA vs. 🇷🇸 Serbia (Thurs. 3:00 pm)

Read More

Yahoo! Sports: The Greatest Day of Basketball Ever Just Happened in Paris

ESPN: Takeaways From Easy Team USA Quarterfinal Win

B/R: LeBron James Gets 4 Stitches After Taking Elbow to the Face

  OLYMPICS   🏅

USWNT: Smith Strikes, Naeher Saves 

Photo: Daniela Porcelli / ISI Photos / Getty Images

Women's Soccer: Sophia Smith’s 95th-Minute Strike Sends 🇺🇸 USWNT Past 🇩🇪 Germany (1-0) & Into Gold Medal Match

The U.S. women’s soccer team is still perfect in Paris! After defeating Germany (4-1) in pool play, the Germans got another crack at Emma Hayes’s bunch in yesterday’s semifinal with a new approach. Germany stifled the USWNT’s attack for a full 90 minutes, but it was a brilliant pass from Mallory Swanson in the 95th minute to set up the game’s biggest. Sophia Smith tracked down the ball just inside the 18 on the right side and fired the one-touch winner. Twenty-five minutes later (119th minute), Germany got a great look at a late equalizer inside the six, but goalkeeper Alysa Naeher made a ridiculous foot save to preserve the win. Naeher is inevitable, and so are the USA’s youthful “Big 3” up front.

Olympics Catch-Up: The USWNT is heading to the finals on Saturday to face Brazil, but how they got here wasn't as easy as it seemed. They’re 6-0 in the Olympics with a goal differential of 11-2, but the last two matches were 1-0 decisions. Naeher hasn’t conceded a goal in the knockout rounds while the trio of Trinity Rodman (3), Mallory Swanson (3), and Sophia Smith (3) have combined for nine of the USA’s 11 overall goals.

Watch: 🇺🇸 USWNT Scores Extra-Time Winner to Beat 🇩🇪 Germany (1-0)

Other Women’s Soccer Semifinal

🇧🇷 Brazil def. 🇪🇸 Spain (4-2)

Women’s Soccer Finals

🇺🇸 USWNT vs. 🇧🇷 Brazil (Sat. 11:00 am)

Read More

SI: Emma Hayes’s Gritty USWNT is on the Precipice of a Gold Medal

NBC Sports: Sophia Smith Goal Punches USWNT’s Ticket to Gold Medal Match

  OLYMPICS   🏅

More Olympics Highlights

Photo: Tim Clayton-Corbis / Getty Images

Track & Field Highlights

• 🇺🇸 American Cole Hocker Shocks Track World With Final Push for 1500M Gold

• 🇺🇸 USA’s Gabby Thomas Electrifies With 200M Gold Run
• 🇧🇭 Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi Claims Women’s Steeplechase Gold With Olympic Record

• 🇬🇷 Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou Defends Men's Long Jump Gold Medal

Other Events & Highlights

• 🇺🇸 American Sam Watson Breaks Speed Climbing World Record
• 🇦🇺 Aussie Arisa Trew Secures Gold in Women’s Skateboard Park
• 🇸🇪 Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann Thrown Off Horse in Equestrian Jumping Final

• 🇺🇸 U.S. Women’s Wrestling Phenom Amit Elor Wins Historic Gold

  MLB HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

⚾️ MLB Quick-Hitters

Framber Valdez 1 Out Shy of No-Hitter

Astros’ Ace Allows HR in 9th (HOU Wins, 4-2)

Brewers Bash Braves in 10-Run Rout (10-0)

Willy Adames Spectacular With 2 HRs, 4-Hit Night

Cubs Cruise Over Twins (7-3)

Imanaga (10 Ks), Paredes Hits 1st HR With CHI

Full MLB Scoreboard

  STORYLINES  

🏈 Training Camp Battles to Watch

NFL training camp is off and running, and the 2024 season is right around the corner. Here are 32 of the biggest position battles going on at practice across the NFL. (ESPN)

⚾️ MLB Power Rankings

The Guardians are officially No. 1 after proving they belong atop more than just the AL. The Yankees are back on track. Are the Phillies heading toward a collapse? (CBS Sports)

⛳️ FedEx Cup Standings

Scottie Scheffler took gold in the Olympics. Now, men’s golf gears up for this month’s FedEx Cup Playoffs where everybody will be chasing Scheffler once again. (Golf Digest)

  NEWS   📰 

⚽️ Real Madrid Land Julian Alvarez From Manchester City in Record $104 Million Transfer (ESPN)

🏀 Charles Barkley Reaffirms Exclusive Commitment to TNT After NBA Deal With NBC (B/R)

🏈 49ers’ Trade Talks Involving WR Brandon Aiyuk Heating Up With Browns & Patriots (FOX Sports)

🏅 Simone Biles Wearing Walking Boot After Calf Injury in Olympics (SI)

🏀 Jazz & Lauri Markkanen Agree to Contract Extension Worth More Than $200 Million (CBS Sports)

🏟️ Pitbull Purchases Naming Rights to Florida International’s Football Stadium (Yahoo! Sports)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

The Olympic Must-Watch List

🏅 Olympics

⛳️ GOLF: Women’s Round 1 (3:00 am / 7:00 am)

🏐 MVB: 🇺🇸 USA vs. 🇵🇱 Poland (10:00 am)

🛹 SKATE: Men’s Park Finals (11:30 am)

🏀 WBB: 🇺🇸 USA vs. 🇳🇬 Nigeria (3:30 pm)

🏐 MBV: 🇺🇸 USA vs. 🇶🇦 Qatar (4:00 pm)

👟 Track & Field Finals

Men’s 400M (12:30 pm)

Women’s Pole Vault (1:00 pm)

Men’s Discus (2:20 pm)

Other Sports in Action: Artistic Swimming, Boxing, Canoeing, Cycling, Diving, Equestrian, Field Hockey, Handball, Sailing, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, Table Tennis, Water Polo, Wrestling

*All Times ET / Coverage on NBC & Peacock

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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