In stoppage time today, United States soccer star Landon Donovan kicked a rebound into Algeria's net setting off nationalistic hysteria on the floor of the U.S. Stock Exchange, in the halls of Capitol Hill, and elsewhere around the U.S.A. The United States' team will advance to the round of 16 and, for the first time since 1930, as a winner of its Group.
On the internet, the dramatic ending may translate into the heaviest internet traffic time period ever. According to CNN.com, and Akamai's Net Usage Index, in the minutes following Donovan's dramatic goal, traffic spiked to 11.2 million visitors per minute. This moved the event past the 2008 presidential election as the second highest traffic day of all time.
The high traffic was not only spurred by the U.S. win but by the important match being played at the same time between England and Slovenia. (England won and thus will advance, along with the U.S., from Group C.)
The overall traffic record occurred earlier this month during the first day of the World Cup when traffic exceeded 12 million visitors per minute. The final numbers from Akamai will determine whether Donovan and his U.S. mates' achievement will rate them as #1 on the 'net.
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