Soccer a weekday bonanza for ESPN

Work was no match for the Americans as their victory over France drew the highest weekday ratings for a Women’s World Cup match. The 3-1 victory Wednesday, which put the Americans in the World Cup final for the first time since 1999, drew a 2.2 overnight rating. ESPN said Thursday that was the best for a weekday match on any network, and the fourth-best rating for any Women’s World Cup match. It ranks just behind Sunday’s wild quarterfinal win over Brazil, which drew a 2.3 rating. Ratings measure the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Overnights represent the nation’s largest markets. – Associated Press