History isn't on side of U.S. comeback kids

For a reason that eludes the players, Team USA doesn't start to assert itself in most games until after it trails by a goal or two.

"It's something that's been with this team for a number of years now, and it's not something we enjoy," goalkeeper Tim Howard said Sunday. "Don't get me wrong. No one likes going behind in a game, but for whatever reason, we seem to be very, very resilient and we start to play more to our strengths when we get desperate."

The United States gave up a fourth-minute goal to England and fought back on Clint Dempsey's goal for a 1-1 tie. After falling behind by two goals to Slovenia, the Americans tied it on goals by Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley and nearly went ahead, only to have Maurice Edu's goal disallowed in a 2-2 draw.

But trailing creates steep odds in the World Cup, when teams with leads turn defensive and drop eight, nine, or 10 players behind the ball. It's akin to the Italian system of "catenaccio," which translates to "door bolt."

Of 160 teams that fell behind 1-0 in World Cup matches from 1998-06, just 21 rallied to win and 36 others gained ties, according to STATS LLC. Among the 73 that trailed 2-0, just six achieved draws and the only one to win was Ivory Coast, 3-2, against Serbia in 2006. - AP