U.S.-Mexico soccer game draws sizable TV audience
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The overnight TV ratings for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier between the United States and Mexico were the highest for a U.S. national soccer team game in a non-World Cup or Confederations Cup tournament.
The game Tuesday drew a 1.9 rating in metered markets, according to Nielsen, which measures TV viewership. That surpassed the 1.6 overnight number for the U.S.-Mexico game in Mexico City in March.
The U.S. beat Mexico, 2-0, Tuesday in front of 24,584 at Columbus Crew Stadium to qualify for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil. Costa Rica grabbed one of CONCACAF’s three spots in Brazil with a 1-1 tie against Jamaica.
Mexico fell to fifth place in the regional qualifying tournament with two games remaining.
Only the top three CONCACAF teams automatically qualify for the Cup. That leaves Mexico looking at the possibility of a two-leg playoff with New Zealand in November to earn one of two play-in berths for the Cup.
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