Agenda

 Take the case of Armando Galarraga. Before his almost-no-hitter, he was just a pitcher struggling to maintain his spot in the Tigers’ rotation. But after Jim Joyce blew a call at first base with two outs in the ninth inning of Galarraga’s perfect game, he went from nobody to Detroit’s -- and America’s -- 'sweetheart.' Nobody outside of the Motor City (and probably many of those within it) wouldn’t even know his name if Joyce hadn’t stolen perfection from him. 

Isn’t that what’s happening with the U.S. soccer team, too?

Now, people who would never classify themselves as soccer fans are suddenly invested in the U.S.' fate in the first round of the World Cup. Why? Because a bad call could stand in between the U.S. and the opportunity to continue competing for the honor of winning a worldwide competition that only happens once every four years.