Eh, American audiences almost always pull for the underdog. Otherwise, why make the journey if they're only going to lose? That's why they changed the ending of Dodgeball, test audiences hated it.
What was the real ending?
EDIT: Or original.
Without spoiling the real ending for anyone who didn't see it, I'd say it was probably the exact opposite.
So they lost their gym? And Ben Stiller didn't get fat?