World Cup Fever Hits the States
While South America is deeply engulfed in World Cup fever, it’s always a tougher job to get North America as excited about the world’s most popular sport. That may have changed this year, however, with the U.S. team’s 2-1 victory over Ghana drawing a record 15.9 million viewers between the two channels showing the game, ESPN and Univision. Between the two channels, the USA’s first game of the 2014 World Cup drew 17% more viewers than the country’s opening game of the 2010 World Cup against England.
The U.S. side’s opening group game of the tournament drew almost 10 million more viewers than tuned in for the NHL’s Stanley Cup finals on Friday. But while the World Cup was expected to beat hockey in the ratings, not many had expected USA against Ghana would draw just short of the 17.9 million viewers who watched the NBA finals game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat.
The record audience didn’t have to wait long before seeing Clint Dempsey score the game’s opening goal after just 29 seconds, the fifth fastest goal in the tournament’s history, while Andre Ayew’s 82nd minute equaliser appeared to have consigned the USMNT to a 1-1 draw only for defender John Brooks to pop up in the 86th minute to head home the winning goal and breathe life into the team’s hopes of coming through a tough Group G containing Portugal and Germany.
While Jurgen Klinsmann’s side face an uphill battle to get anything from their remaining two group games, U.S. fans will be even more interested in tuning into see whether or not their team can achieve the impossible and come through a group many have labelled ‘The Group of Death’. If they can progress to the second round, soccer in America could be given another massive boost.
