Late last month, the U.S. soccer team got some great publicity with a fantastic run at the Confederations Cup. People who usually didn’t follow the team tuned in to see us almost beat Brazil in the final.

You might now know this, but the team has not stopped playing. They are currently competing in the Gold Cup, which brings together the top teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean. The roster is mostly different, which is nice as some new guys get a chance to impress Coach Bob Bradley.

One of those guys is Santino Quaranta, who plays for D.C. United and grew up in Baltimore. Once a teenage prodigy, Quaranta has had an up-and-down career which is on one of those fun upswings. This one is different though because of the circumstances. Trust me, you will want to read that link whether you like soccer or not.

The redemption reached a new high point last night when Tino scored the first goal in the team’s 2-0 win over Honduras. He had not represented the U.S. in three years, but hopefully has put himself in position to earn one of the 23 spots on the World Cup team.

That would be fantastic and not just because he plays for my favorite club team and comes from my hometown. We hear too many stories of athletes who go down a bad road only never to return. Tino gives hope that you can face your demons and play on the greatest stage. You don’t need to care about the intricacies of the sport to appreciate that.