• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, June 14, 2010

Viewership for the U.S.' opening game of the World Cup on Saturday was the highest for a match involving the national team in 16 years. The average 14.5 million viewers came in short of the 15.8 million who tuned in to watch the U.S. play Brazil in 1994.

Still, that particular match -- with a hyped rivalry -- was in the round of 16, when the tournament takes on a win-or-go-home dynamic. Saturday's match against England was a tournament opener. The estimated 14.5 million combines viewing on ABC and Univision.

ESPN, which broadcast the game on ABC, said about 13 million watched the game on the network.

Nielsen said 57% of the viewers were adults 18 to 49.

If the U.S. were to advance to the round of 16 -- or beyond as it did in 2002 -- a surge of interest and patriotism could drive ratings up. They could match what happened with the successful U.S. hockey team in the February Olympics.