If the ratings from the UEFA Champions League Final are any indication, soccer is on the rise in the United States.

According to TVGuide.com, last Wednesday’s thrilling final between Manchester United and Chelsea drew 1.1 million viewers on ESPN2, smashing the previous record of the 770,000 viewers that watched the 2006 final.

Include the folks that watched over on ESPN Deportes and the game drew just short of a million and a half viewers, 1.31 million, to be exact.  Couple that with the fact that the game kicked off before noon on the west coast and you have a major ratings victory for ESPN.