For a country with America's capabilities, anything less than a win is a loss—and even an ungraceful win is a loss.

Take Brazil's world-class football team facing a third-rate team like Yemen. In theory, they should dominate completely, winning by ten-plus goals without breaking a sweat. But if the victory comes through struggle and difficulty, requiring enormous effort, then even securing the win essentially amounts to a loss on the level of public opinion and strategy. People will question whether you truly deserve that world-class ranking.