The United States tied with Italy, playing 9 men against Italy's 10 for basically the entire second half. Granted, Italy scored both goals in the game. But still! This is case in point for a strange truth about the United States: we're worthless without a story. If you put the United States into a game with no backstory and no risk, they will lose. Give them high stakes and Hollywood style suspense and you've got the potential for miracles -- the United States is fueled by being the underdog. Would we have fended off the Brits during the revolution had we not been outmanned? Would Lance have won all those Tours without having cancer? I'm not saying we're going to win the World Cup or anything. We may be eliminated on Thursday. I'm just saying that Americans love a good story.