And, in a slow-moving economy, Britain will take all the national champions it can get.
"As defending champions it is our Cup at the moment," Walcott said.
For Caleb Porter, manager of the defending MLS Cup champions, it was a painful experience.
True sporting champions, it transpires, don't much go in for thinking about what they are doing.
He has since signed such a requirement into law and champions it as one of his most significant accomplishments.
On top of identifying great champions, it is the most stunning Open venue of them all, though maybe not St.
Still, they finished top of a group including world champions It... actually, that isn't much to crow about, is it.
Tonight, even in the absence of the defending champions, it was only good enough for sixth place.
Davies was equally honest: "If we can beat the European champions, it would be sensational, it really would.
I guess for all those teams that have a losing record and don't think they can be champions, it can get done".
But after a no-hitter and a shutout against the defending World Series champions, it was hard to feel too disappointed, Tyler Kepner writes.
