The United States men’s soccer team’s thrilling World Cup victory over Ghana in their World Cup opener on Monday evening drew the highest-ever rating for a World Cup game on ESPN.
The match “averaged a 7.0 overnight rating” and, according to ESPN, “the top five metered markets were Washington, DC (11.8), New York (10.2), Hartford-New Haven (10.1), Boston (10.0) and Columbus, Ohio (8.9).”
Clint Dempsey scored 29 seconds into the match and John Anthony Brooks headed in a corner kick in the 86th minute to give the United States an exhilarating 2-1 victory over a Ghana squad that has ousted them from the last two World Cups. U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann did what his two predecessors — Bob Bradley and Bruce Arena — could not by getting three points against Ghana in a World Cup match.