Soccer is in a tight spot in China — literally. Huge crowds roar for Manchester United but the national team is a laughing stock at 108th in FIFA world rankings. Poor coaching, lack of grassroots development, even corruption and violence are variously cited as reasons for the sport’s demise. But the real reason may be more basic: the fact of physical space, or the lack thereof, in China.

If geography is a determinant of economic development, then it is fair to extrapolate that urban geography underpins the development of sports. And here’s the rub for soccer, not to mention American football and baseball. With few parks, small concrete schoolyards and a dearth of quiet streets, urban China offers little of the space needed for the sprawling play that defines those sports. Soccer has deep roots in China, but playing space has been squeezed as cities sprawl and swallow land in big gulps.

The NBA’s huge popularity in China has left other sports leagues salivating. They, too, dream of their own Yao Ming bringing forth TV audiences in the tens of millions and merchandising opportunities galore. But basketball can thank China’s spatial constraints more than its own marketing wizardry for such success. Dozens of nets crammed into schoolyards make the sport accessible to a huge number of young enthusiasts. The ease with which basketball has been woven into China’s urban fabric has a precedent in the explosion of Chinese table tennis in the 1950s. Both are simple enough games that can be played in tight spaces.

Curiously, the physical limitations of the crowded country augur well for one sport that uses more space than almost any other: golf. Unlike baseball, football and soccer, golf does not need a critical mass of ardent supporters to take off. Golf, in fact, can thrive in conditions of scarcity, when a small number of high-priced courses consolidate its position as an elite pastime. The lack of space in China makes it an expensive sport, out of reach for the great unwashed and just the ticket for the country’s nouveau riche.

Photo Credit: Local fans of Manchester United hold signs and posters as they look into the hotel where the players stayed in on July 25, 2009 ahead of a friendly match against Hangzhou Greentown. REUTERS/Nir Elias

After watching the United States destroy every opponent in the basketball tournament by an average of more than 30 points before the final on Sunday, there probably weren’t many people expecting Spain to have a chance against a “Redeem Team” determined to win back the gold medal after the debacle of the bronze in 2004.

But then Spain played a superb match and kept the Americans on the ropes all the way to the very end with one dazzling basket after another.

It was by far the best match of the tournament. Dave Beckham was among the delighted eyewitnesses — we were all wondering which team he was rooting for — and so was Jacques Rogge and Juan Antonio Samaranch. All of them got cheers from the big crowd whenever their smiling images of were flashed up on the giant scoreboard. 

Many of the players and coaches after the match used the word “historic” to describe what they had just been through — getting a jump on the hundreds of journalists who had clearly just witnessed something special play out before their eyes. It’s a big word and often overused. But for anyone who was there, it was hard to disagree.

“We played with great character in one of the great games of international basketball history,” said U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Spain’s Paul Gasol added: “People will remember it for a long time. We never backed down. We can be proud.”

Michael Phelps made the headlines once again – most of them including the word “pantheon” — as he made it three gold medals and three world records from three finals so far.

The American now has nine career Olympic gold medals to his name and will almost certainly break the record he now shares with four other athletes when he swims in two finals tomorrow.

Phelps’s achievement is extraordinary, and has set the Games alight, but to my mind there was greater excitement away from the Water Cube on day four.

The best action came during a terrific struggle in the basketball, with heavily-fancied Spain coming from behind to beat China in an overtime thriller. Perhaps Spain are trying to lull the U.S. into a false sense of security.

There were other good stories away from the pool. Togo won their first medal, in kayaking, while a Texan hunter, Walton Eller, beat an Italian policeman in the men’s double trap shooting.

There’s a new feature on the blog today. If you look to the right you’ll see a fantastic medals table “widget”. Feel free to add it to your own blog by following the “Get this widget” link.

We did another podcast, mostly about Phelps but with some interesting factoids on the Greco-Roman wrestling, and Mitch Phillips argued that you have to look outside the pool for the greatest Olympian in history. On the frothier side, I particularly enjoyed Al Himmer’s story from the basketball the other night, if only for this headline: “Step away from the crisps, sir.”

Click here to find out what that’s all about and please pop back tomorrow. Remember, comments are open on all stories here on the blog and we love to hear from you.

Kevin Fylan, Beijing

You don’t often wonder, in all seriousness, whether opening a packet of crisps will result in instant death.

But there I was, not 10 metres from President George W. Bush, his father, former President George H.W. Bush and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger covering the blockbuster United States v China Olympic men’s basketball game.

I was struggling mightily with a packet of crisps (”potato flavour” no less!). It simply wouldn’t open and I feared a Del Boy moment, where the packet bursts suddenly and the crisps fly everywhere, in this case over news agency reporters from Xinhua, AP and AFP just below me on the press tribune.

It was at this moment that a Reuters technician usefully informed me that if the offending bag were to burst with a loud bang, I could get shot.

Good point. Hadn’t even crossed my mind. I went hungry.

PHOTO: U.S. President George W. Bush watches as his father and former president George H.W. Bush (R) shakes hands with China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (L) at the Group B men’s basketball game between China and the U.S. during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 10, 2008. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

I’m joined today by Mitch Phillips, Julian Linden and Padraic Halpin for a chat about Michael Phelps and the rest of the action on a fantastic morning in Beijing. Please forgive the long and winding intro…

Click here for day two’s podcast.

Michael Phelps smashed his own world record in the 400m individual medley to set off on what could be a record-breaking gold medal trail on day two of real action at the 2008 Olympics.

That was early in the morning and it took until late at night before we had a story that even came close to matching it, with the United States overcoming a slightly unconvincing start to beat China by an emphatic 101-70.

Along the way we had Stephanie Rice, one half of Australian swimming’s glam couple, matching Phelps with a world record and a gold medal in the women’s 400m individual medley.

They were fantastic tales, and there were many others, but I think my favourite today came in the shooting, where despite the ongoing strife between their two countries, Georgian Nino Salukvadze hugged Russian rival Natalia Paderina after they took bronze and silver respectively in the 10-metre air pistol.

There was also a classic bright about a name change that brought a great deal of good fortune for Thailand weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon. What’s in a name? 31 letters and a whole lot of luck, in this case. 

I didn’t spot any golden quotes today but there was a decent piece of trivia. Did you know that South Korea’s women have won every women’s Olympic archery gold medal since 1984? They secured their sixth consecutive one on Sunday, beating China 224-215.

I’ll be back on the blog after a short break for sleep. In the mean time, please check out the latest edition of our podcast. I promise you, it’s by far the best yet and well worth checking out. That Linden bloke is a star. Here it is.

The Olympic basketball match between China and the United States just ended with the U.S. pulling away to win 101-70 in what they say was the most-watched event sporting event in China’s history.

It’ll be no surprise if the estimates are right and a billion or so people around the world were tuned in to watch what was after all an irresistible contest – a meeting between the “Reds” and the “Red-White-and-Blues” and one laden with symbols. 

Given the circumstances it was truly more than just a game — and I found myself wondering what James Naismith, who invented basketball in 1891 by putting up two peach baskets, would have thought had he been here too.

I had a great seat, not all that far from where U.S. President George W. Bush was watching, and a few rows over from actress Glenn Close, and even though I’m an American — and an avid follower of Olympic basketball ever since the United States got robbed by the Soviet Union in the electrifying final of the 1972 Munich Olympics — I found myself “oohing” and “aahing” like everyone else.

I even found myself cheering for the scintillating team play of China and the sheer joy that erupted in the seats around me when China scored.

At the same time the Chinese fans were out of the seats cheering every great American pass or basket — especially the spectacular, gravity-defying dunks form a U.S. team who seemed to be true to their promise of a new attitude after the humbling experience of Athens in 2004.

Basketball is a huge sport in China and many of the Chinese people I’ve talked say they watch the NBA all the time on television. It’s still much better, they confide, than their CBA. But, like everything else in Beijing, China is catching up.

And who knows what will happen in another 117 years?

PHOTO: Kobe Bryant of the U.S. slam dunks against China during their Group B men’s basketball game at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 10, 2008. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Chinese basketball player Yao Ming (C) holds the Olympic torch during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games torch relay in Beijing August 6, 2008. REUTERS/Joe Chan (CHINA)

Russell Boyce writes: Yao Ming enters Tiananmen Square holding the Olympic torch high in the air in front of the portrait of Chairman Mao. The calm in the faces of Yao and Mao belies the chaos that surrounds them, as the flame escorts push back the assembled media and a crush of spectators.

Russell Boyce is Reuters chief photographer, Asia. For a selection of other great Reuters pix from the Games click here. For the full story on the torch click here.

Dirk Nowitzki was picked to carry the German flag into the Olympic Stadium’s Opening Ceremonies on Friday but, in a country where carrying the national flag had long fallen out of favour, the NBA all-star basketball player was given a few unsolicited pointers by German Olympic officials on how to do the job.

“They gave me the tip that it’s not going to be like at Carnival and so I shouldn’t wave the flag around too wildly,” said Nowitzki, who added he was deeply honoured to be the country’s flag-bearer. “But I think I’ll still be able to have some fun with the whole thing.”

Nowitzki, 30, epitomises a younger generation of Germans born decades after World War Two who have embraced patriotism. Unlike their parents’ generation they have no inhibitions about showing their love of the country and even waving a German flag — something that was a very rare sight between the Black Forest and Baltic until only a few years ago.
 
The first surge in German flag-waving came in 2006 at the soccer World Cup when there was suddenly millions of German flags flying.

Nowitzki, like millions of others, even painted little German flags on his cheeks and put one on his car during the Euro 2008 soccer championship. But his little car flag didn’t survive long on the high-speed motorways. “Unfortunately I drive a little fast on the Autobahn,” he said. “It didn’t survive more than a day and I had to take what was left of it off.”

PHOTO: Dirk Nowitzki looks up during a practice session ahead of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 4, 2008. REUTERS/Sergio Perez

Loaded with outrageous talent, the United States men’s basketball team insist they will be checking egos at the door at the Beijing Olympics.

Boasting Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player and its leading scorer, the Americans are favourites to win gold, although 2004 Athens gold medallists Argentina and world champions Spain will push them all the way.

The U.S. have won 12 Olympic men’s titles but have often been accused of arrogance. The current crop, who play hosts China in their opening Olympic game on Aug. 10, will have a different attitude. “You can’t be arrogant and win!” said American coach Mike Krzyzewski.

The arrogance of old has been replaced by humility, individualism and show-boating by team ethic. They have looked unstoppable in their warm-up games. But will it be enough for the ‘Redeem Team’ to win gold ahead of sharp-shooting Argentina and Spain?

PHOTO: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James of the U.S. react during their friendly basketball game against Russia in Shanghai August 3, 2008. REUTERS/Aly Song