This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Americans love a winner. Just check the TV ratings.

Through the first couple of weeks of the Women's World Cup soccer tournament, ESPN's ratings were not good. Matches that featured Team USA hovered somewhere between a 0.9 and a 1.2 rating; matches without an American presence were averaging a 0.4.

That's bad.

However, things turned around in Sunday's quarterfinal between Team USA and Brazil. Ratings more than doubled to a 2.6, and the 3.89 million viewers who tuned in made it the third most-watched Women's World Cup match ever in this country.

No. 1 and No. 2 were the American women's victories in the semifinals and finals back in 1999. (And, by way of comparison, 19.4 million viewers watched the American men play Ghana in last year's World Cup on ABC and Univision.)

When the numbers come in from Wednesday's win over France, they'll probably fall back simply because it was middle-of-the-week game played in the morning. But ESPN is hopeful that Sunday's final will set a new record.

Certainly, Team USA has captured the attention of the media and a good number of viewers. And viewers have been treated to thoroughly entertaining, professional coverage on ESPN and ESPN2.

The production has been superb. The commentary has been superior. The play-by-play has been top notch.

Brilliant, even, as the Brits would say. And the smartest thing ESPN has done was hire Brits to do the play-by-play.

They do speak English, after all. We can understand them, and they understand how to telecast a soccer match.

If you don't think they're light years beyond American soccer sportscasters, tune in an MLS game on Fox Soccer Channel sometime and compare for yourself. As was the case during the 2010 men's World Cup, ESPN is relying on Brits like Adam Healey and Ian Darke to follow the game for us. And they do it in a way that captures both the action and the emotion of a match. They don't shy away from expressing opinions, but they're not cheerleading.

Even when the Americans (or the Brits) are playing.

Darke and his partner, former American player Julie Foudy, didn't hesitate to point out how France was dominating play for much of Wednesday's match.

"France is looking an ominously good side," Darke said. "They [Team USA] are being outplayed in this phase of the game."

"In that first 30 minutes of the second half, it was looking like France was just going to keep capitalizing," Foudy said.

But when the Americans came back to score two late goals, Darke and Foudy hit just the right notes.

"What a comeback again by the United States," Darke said.

"Again, Abby Wambach to the rescue!" said Foudy.

It's coverage that both dedicated soccer fanatics and casual fans can enjoy.

Team USA will battle Japan for the Women's World Cup on Sunday at noon on ESPN. Darke and Foudy will be back in the booth.

The American women will be going after their third World Cup; the American men have never finished better than third. And that was in 1930.

Scott D. Pierce covers television for The Salt Lake Tribune. Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce; read his blog at sltrib.com/blogs/tv.