Teams search for ways to beat U.S

By Steve Keating BEIJING (Reuters) - Time is running out on teams searching for a crack in the U.S. amour as the mighty Americans continued their march towards a fourth consecutive Olympic softball gold medal on Monday. In eight years and three Summer Games, no team has discovered the Kryptonite to neutralize Americans' superpowers on the Olympic diamond. The U.S. steamrolls into Wednesday's semi-final against Japan unbeaten in 21 Olympic contests, a streak of dominance stretching back to the 2000 Sydney Olympics that has shown no sign of ending in Beijing. The U.S. must win two more games to complete a golden reign that began in 1996 when the sport was introduced to the Summer Games in Atlanta and is expected to end on Thursday, when softball is officially dropped from the Olympic program following the final out of the gold... [read full story]