ONE FOR CHARLIE:

U.S. shows heart in salvaging tie with Costa Rica (Ives Galarcep, 10/15/09,ESPN Soccernet)

It was a game that originally wasn't supposed to mean much, but for the U.S. men's national team, Wednesday's World Cup qualifying finale meant more than most could have imagined.

Having already qualified for the 2010 World Cup on Saturday, the Americans were expected to treat the game against Costa Rica as a celebration of their accomplishment. However, the devastating events surrounding teammate Charlie Davies' involvement in a deadly car accident changed that. Duly inspired, the U.S. team pulled off a stirring comeback to tie Costa Rica 2-2 that left the pro-American crowd at RFK Stadium roaring as if the U.S. had just qualified for the World Cup.