The soccer world cup is one of sport’s greatest spectacles, perhaps only rivaled by the Olympics. Its allure comes partly from the fact that it transcends national boundaries and allows people to root either for their nation of residence or their ethnic heritage in what is hopefully peaceful competition (although some of the reported riots at English soccer matches belies that slightly naive hope).

Today the United States plays Italy in what is an important match for both teams. The U.S. has never beaten Italy in international competition, and a loss today would end their World Cup. Italy is the second most successful team in World Cup history behind Brazil, and their current 19-game unbeaten streak marks them as a contender in this tournament in spite of their relatively-low world ranking. Don’t consider me a national traitor, but I will be rooting for the Italians in this game, as I always do in World Cups.