JOHANNESBURG — The United States’ 2-1 loss to Ghana in extra time, which eliminated the Americans from the tournament, was the most-watched men’s World Cup game ever in America.
The Nielsen Co. said Saturday afternoon’s game was seen by an estimated 14.9 million viewers on ABC. An additional 4.5 million people watched on the Spanish-language Univision.
Nielsen said only the 1999 Women’s World Cup final, featuring the U.S. and China and played at the Rose Bowl, had more viewers for a soccer game on an English-language network in the U.S. That game averaged just less than 18 million viewers.
• Marco Poppa‘s first-half goal Sunday extended the Chicago Fire’s MLS unbeaten streak to five matches with a 1-0 victory over the host New England Revolution.
• Fred scored the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute to help the Philadelphia Union open its new stadium with a 3-1 win over the Seattle Sounders.
Storm stages big comeback
TULSA — Svetlana Abrosimova scored 19 of her season-high 21 points in the second half as the WNBA Western Conference-leading Seattle Storm overcame a 13-point second-half deficit to defeat the Tulsa Shock 83-72.
• Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter scored 19 points, and New York rallied to beat the visiting Connecticut Sun 77-68.
• Iziane Castros Marques scored 21 of her 25 points in the second half as the host Atlanta Dream rallied from a 16-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Los Angeles Sparks 89-81.
• Crystal Langhorne scored a career-high 31 points and added 10 rebounds as the Washington Mystics won their fourth straight home game, 95-85 over the Phoenix Mercury.
• Ebony Hoffman scored 13 points, and the visiting Indiana Fever held off a late Chicago Sky rally for a 70-64 victory.
Vettel wins F1 race
VALENCIA, Spain — Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won the European Grand Prix, dominating from the pole in a race marked by teammate Mark Webber‘s spectacular crash and Fernando Alonso‘s claim that the results had been “manipulated.”
Vettel won his second race of the season, completing 57 laps of the Valencia street circuit ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
• Greg Anderson raced to his first pro stock victory of the season at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.
Larry Dixon (top fuel), Tim Wilkerson (funny car) and Matt Smith (pro stock motorcycle) won their respective categories.
Footnotes.
East High School graduate David Oliver won the 110- meter hurdles at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, breezing to the victory in 12.93 seconds.
• Cat Osterman struck out 10 in a complete game and Alissa Haber drove in four runs as the U.S. defeated Australia 9-2 to remain unbeaten at the world softball championship in Caracas, Venezuela.
The Associated Press
