If you will indulge us for a moment, but any time Thomas Paine's The Crisis is used to preview a soccer game, we love it. (Hooray for American History!) England vs. USA is Saturday at 2pm. This is for Lexington and Concord, the War of 1812 and BP's oil rigs.

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

Seriously, that commercial is oozing with symbolism. The Gadsden Flag ("Don't tread on me" goes back to the American Revolution and is used by US Soccer supporter groups), the drum line (playing a military march), a British pub, The Sun newspaper (England's NY Post), Americans in bandanas and Uncle Sam (for US supporter groups American Outlaws and Sam's Army), and fireworks ("rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air" was written during the War of 1812). It is awesome. And yes, that was the actual Sun cover when the World Cup draw was announced. By the way, the last time the US played England in the World Cup, we won. 

COME ON YOU YANKS!