Sunday’s rating underscores the possibilities for ESPN and Univision if the U.S. can advance and actually make a run here. The numbers could be staggering, as this thing continues to build. Of course, there’s a big if there.

So yes, ESPN and Univision really felt the pain of that last-second goal.

The final numbers told the story of the growing World Cup fever that is sweeping the states.

ESPN’s telecast averaged 18.22 million viewers, the most ever for a soccer game ever aired in the U.S. The previous high was the final of 1999 Women’s World Cup, which averaged 17.97 million viewers.

The rating peaked in the final minutes as nearly 23 million viewers saw the crushing tying goal.

Univision averaged 6.5 million viewers, making for a combined audience of 24.7 million viewers in the U.S.

ESPN and Univision will be hard-pressed to replicate those numbers when the U.S. meets Germany Thursday. Unfortunately for the networks, the game time is 12 p.m. ET. The first two American games were at 6 p.m. ET.

Then again, many workers could call in sick Thursday. This World Cup fever is real for U.S. soccer.