JOHANNESBURG — The United States' 2-1 loss to Ghana in extra time, which eliminated the Americans from the tournament in South Africa, was the most-watched men's World Cup game ever in this country.

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 United States 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 under 18 million viewers.