david hirshey, let me start with you. these guys play constantly, in continental championships, national championships. they play for professional clubs. they play for the international team. they're always playing. why does the world cup stand head and shoulders above that constant round of championship play ? >> because for four years these players are trying to qualify for the tournament that is the pinnacle of their sport. and it's a grueling campaign that can be will-sapping at times. but it's the shared send of national identity that i think galvanizes the team and makes them run through walls for their countries. >> suarez: christine brennan, more than the uafa cup or the concacaf or all these various kinds of championships that are being played for the rest of the time? >> i think, well, david is right, david knows the sport very well but this is once every four years. so in many ways for viewers who don't watch a lot of soccer t is like the olympics, the winter games, summer games. you have a long wait. and this

and that would be the hope again for this time for the u.s. >> christine brennan, david hirshey, thank you both. >> thank you. >> lehrer: and finally tonight, the analysis of shields and brooks-- syndicated columnist mark shields, "new york times" columnist david brooks. mark, the red sox are not involved in the world cup, right. >> they aren't, no. celtics either, jim. >> lehrer: okay. all right. president obama has escalated his rhetoric on the oil spill, used some profanity and other tough words. is he doing the right thing? >> i think it was a gaffe from president obama this is a gaffe-free president, gaffe free president so a great dehe agree, you could count on yun hand the mistakes he made on that long slog two years running with microphones at the ready all the timement i thought looking for whose ass to kick was not authentic, was not-- it appeared contrived, to answer the criticism that he hadn't been angry enough that he hadn't shown enough passion. and the white house has played been-- been playing catch-up. i think they've done it better with 245d allen. the coast guard ad