Argentina's men's basketball team may have come up short against the United States, but their heavily favored soccer team laid claim to a gold medal of their own. Angel Di Maria's chip shot past Ambrose Vanzekin was all the Argentines needed to defeat Nigeria in a brilliantly contested Olympic gold medal match. The second half goal, set up by the deft touch of the enigmatic star Lionel Messi, led Argentina to a 1-0 victory, and a well earned gold medal. Both sides showed flashes of brilliance, but Argentina's stylish passing made all the difference after 90 minutes in of China's 90 degree weather. At one point midway through the first half the referee actually halted play to give players a two-minute respite from the searing midday sun. Di Maria seemed to be one of the few players unaffected by the temperature, and his non-stop movement eventually paid off for Argentina. Benefica's "Little Angel" was already expected to draw significant interest from Europe's larger clubs, but his potential transfer will likely cost quite a bit more (as the NBC commentators noted) on the heels of this impressive performance. Nigeria equipped acquitted themselves quite well in the loss, their second to Argentina in a major competition after 2005's runner-up finish in the international under-20 competition. Their stellar run in the Olympic tournament lends further credence to the belief that the Nigerian national team will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. In other news, I am incredibly tired (drunk on gin) so I'm going to get some sleep before the weekend's Premier League action kicks off. Stay tuned to Deadspin Weekends for the stylings of Tuffy, who will be getting things started at a much more reasonable hour. Image via Yahoo! Sports
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