Team USA can finally be compared to the one that won gold in 1992. The Dream Team debate begins because yet again, the American's are on top of the world.

For the second time in these Olympic games, Team USA’s defense wasn’t much of a factor for much of the match against Spain. It was because of this that the American’s couldn’t fully pull away from Spain the way they have with all their other opponents in the Olympics. It brought back flashbacks to the Lithuania scare in pool play. If you were banking on a rematch of the 2008 gold medal game, you got more then you bargained for Sunday when Team USA went head-to-head with Spain, who stuck with the Americans blow-for-blow the entire match.

Serge Ibaka was hustling hard in the second half for Spain and with the Spaniards in foul trouble, he was a major factor down the stretch. But even his performance in combination with that of Pau Gasol’s wasn’t enough to topple an impressive offensive attack by Team USA.

It was true four years ago in Beijing when these two teams met for the gold and it’s true four years later in London: Team USA is an unstoppable offensive force with unmatchable firepower. They played an absolutely atrocious game defensively but they were able to cancel that out with performances for the ages, like Kevin Durant’s 30 points.

Durant carried the American’s down the stretch of the game, and even though Spain was able to take Olympic MVP LeBron James out of the game in terms of being a game changing factor, Durant more then made up for it and showed that just because he’s a runner up MVP in the NBA doesn’t mean he can’t bring it in the Olympics when it matters most.

Carmelo Anthony continued his quest to be the Olympic Sixth Man with am 8 point, 5 rebound game with 3 assists to boot. Melo had been consistent off the bench for most off the Olympics and he didn’t fizzle when the weight was at it’s greatest.

The gold medal is the 13th overall for the United States and their fourth in the last five years. It’s also a fitting way for head coach Mike Krzyzewski to go out in his final game as the head coach of one of the greatest Olympic basketball teams in Olympic history.

Comparisons to the 1992 Barcelona Dream Team are not warranted. The 2012 Dream Team blew through their competition with only one minor hiccup against Lithuania. But they have won Olympic gold and have not only proven that they are the best basketball team in the world, they might just be the greatest basketball team in the history of the world.

They have Olympic gold, and thus the debate begins.

So, as it turns out, the US is really tough to beat.

Just as they did when these two teams played last week, Argentina hung around in the first half and looked like they could actually pull off the upset. But then, just like last time, Team USA’s sheer talent took over and that was that. It wasn’t quite as emphatic as last time, but still. They dominated the second half en route to an easy win and a gold medal berth.

But it won’t get any easier, because…well, now they get to face the Brothers Gasol.

Spain 67, Russia 59

Oh, Russia. I spend two weeks talking you up as a legit medal contender, and then you lay an egg in the semis. I mean, they can still prove me right by snagging a bronze, but still. Very disappointing.

Russia started off fine. After an ugly first half that saw just 51 points combined — for reference, Team USA scored 49 in the first quarter in their monster win over Nigeria — including a first quarter that ended with Russia up 12-9, things picked up in the second. Well, for Spain at least. Not so much for the Russians. Leading by 11 at the half, Russia watched helplessly as a late third quarter run tied the game going into the fourth. They retook the lead briefly, at 49-46, but Spain answered with a 15-2 run to take a commanding lead that Russia couldn’t make much of a dent in. Oddly, Spain made this run with Pau Gasol sitting on the bench.

So, after everything, we’re left with the Gold medal matchup we all thought we’d be getting. Spain vs. USA. The Spanish-American War II: Electric Boogaloo.