February 4, 2012

All 64 Matches of 2010 FIFA World Cup on ESPN Radio

All 64 Matches of 2010 FIFA World Cup on ESPN Radio

Studio Specials Provide 24 Hours of Additional Coverage

ESPN Radio will present live coverage of all 64 games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, from the opener (South Africa vs. Mexico) on June 11 through the Final on July 11.  The 2010 FIFA World Cup marks the first live soccer broadcasts by ESPN Radio, which debuted January 1, 1992.

Veteran FIFA World Cup soccer commentators JP Dellacamera (play-by-play) and analyst Tommy Smyth will serve as ESPN Radio’s lead broadcast team for South Africa 2010.  Dellacamera, who is ESPN’s lead commentator for telecasts of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams and Major League Soccer matches, has called the last six FIFA World Cups for a variety of networks and was NBC Sports lead commentator at the past two summer Olympics.  Smyth, who has called thousands of international matches from leagues all over the world including the UEFA Champions League for ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN International, served as a game and studio analyst during ESPN’s UEFA European Football Championship 2008 (Euro 08) coverage, and has worked four FIFA World Cups (1994, ’98, 2002 and ’06).

Other ESPN Radio commentators:

  • Soccer play-by-play commentator Glenn Davis will pair with former MLS player Kyle Martino, to call some matches.  Davis served as play-by-play commentator for ESPN’s 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup coverage, and Martino, the 2002 MLS rookie of the year, currently serves as TV analyst for select MLS matches on ESPN.
  • Ross Dyer and Shep Messing, former NASL and US National team keeper, will round out the commentator teams.  Dyer has worked on Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga, World Cup qualifying matches for ESPN International, and Messing, provided analysis for ESPN during the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
  • ESPN’s team of 2010 FIFA World Cup reporters will contribute live reporting from match sites and other locations across South Africa.

“JP and Tommy are seasoned FIFA World Cup announcers and using them as the lead commentator team elevates ESPN Radio broadcasts of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, informing and entertaining listeners in the United States,” said Jed Drake, ESPN senior vice president and executive producer, event production.  “Our overall coverage of this event on ESPN Radio will reflect our commitment to make the 2010 FIFA World Cup experience a memorable one for fans across our multimedia assets.”

All matches in the round robin stage and the round of 16 will be called from ESPN Radio’s state-of-the-art studios in Bristol, Conn.  Dellacamera and Smyth will then travel to South Africa to call two of the four quarterfinal matches, the semifinals, the third-place and final matches from site.

ESPN Radio broadcasts of 2010 FIFA World Cup matches will feature prematch, halftime and postmatch studio segments, highlighted by Xs and Os matchup previews, reporting from match sites, national anthems, and more.

Additionally, the radio network will feature 2010 FIFA World Cup studio programming commencing with weekly, one-hour FIFA World Cup Soccer Specials Friday at 8 p.m. ET, April 2 through May 28.  The specials will move to 6 p.m. daily beginning Tuesday, June 1, though Sunday, July 11, following the conclusion of the title match.

ESPN Radio will broadcast 13 matches live on its main channel – the three US Team matches in the round robin phase, two matches in the round of 16, four quarterfinals matches, the two semifinals, the third place and final matches. Affiliates will distribute the remaining games separately.

2010 FIFA World Cup Groupings

Group A Group B Group C Group D
1  South Africa 1  Argentina 1  England 1  Germany
2  Mexico 2  Nigeria 2  USA 2  Australia
3  Uruguay 3  Korea Republic 3  Algeria 3  Serbia
4  France 4  Greece 4  Slovenia 4  Ghana
Group E Group F Group G Group H
1  Netherlands 1  Italy 1  Brazil 1  Spain
2  Denmark 2  Paraguay 2  Korea DPR 2  Switzerland
3  Japan 3  New Zealand 3  Cote d’Ivoire 3  Honduras
4  Cameroon 4  Slovakia 4  Portugal 4  Chile

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SCHEDULE ON ESPN RADIO

u All times EASTERN u Schedule is subject to change

Date Time (ET) Network Match Group Site Match #
Fri 6/11 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio South Africa vs. Mexico A Johannesburg 1
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Uruguay vs. France A Cape Town 2
Sat 6/12 7 a.m. ESPN Radio Korea Republic vs. Greece B Port Elizabeth 3
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Argentina vs. Nigeria B Johannesburg 4
2 p.m. ESPN Radio England vs. USA C Rustenburg 5
Sun 6/13 7 a.m. ESPN Radio Algeria vs. Slovenia C Polokwane 6
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Serbia vs. Ghana D Pretoria 7
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Germany vs. Australia D Durban 8
Mon 6/14 7 a.m. ESPN Radio Netherlands vs. Denmark E Johannesburg 9
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Japan vs. Cameroon E Bloemfontein 10
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Italy vs. Paraguay F Cape Town 11
Tue 6/15 7 a.m. ESPN Radio New Zealand vs. Slovakia F Rustenburg 12
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Ivory Coast vs. Portugal G Port Elizabeth 13
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Brazil vs. Korea DPR G Johannesburg 14
Wed 6/16 7 a.m. ESPN Radio Honduras vs. Chile H Nelspruit 15
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Spain vs. Switzerland H Durban 16
2 p.m. ESPN Radio South Africa vs. Uruguay A Pretoria 17
Thu 6/17 7 a.m. ESPN Radio Argentina vs. Korea Rep. B Johannesburg 18
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Greece vs. Nigeria B Bloemfontein 19
2 p.m. ESPN Radio France vs. Mexico A Polokwane 20
Fri 6/18 7 a.m. ESPN Radio Germany vs. Serbia D Port Elizabeth 21
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Slovenia vs. USA C Johannesburg 22
2 p.m. ESPN Radio England vs. Algeria C Cape Town 23
Sat 6/19 7 a.m. ESPN Radio Netherlands vs. Japan E Durban 24
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Ghana vs. Australia D Rustenburg 25
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Cameroon vs. Denmark E Pretoria 26
Sun 6/20 7 a.m. ESPN Radio Slovakia vs. Paraguay F Bloemfontein 27
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Italy vs. New Zealand F Nelspruit 28
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Brazil vs. Ivory Coast G Johannesburg 29
Mon 6/21 7 a.m. ESPN Radio Portugal vs. Korea DPR G Cape Town 30
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Chile vs. Switzerland H Port Elizabeth 31
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Spain vs. Honduras H Johannesburg 32
Tue 6/22 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Mexico vs. Uruguay A Rustenburg 33
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio France vs. South Africa A Bloemfontein 34
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Nigeria vs. Korea Republic B Durban 35
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Greece vs. Argentina B Polokwane 36
Wed 6/23 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Slovenia vs. England C Port Elizabeth 37
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio USA vs. Algeria C Pretoria 38
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Ghana vs. Germany D Johannesburg 39
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Australia vs. Serbia D Nelspruit 40
Thu 6/24 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Slovakia vs. Italy E Johannesburg 41
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Paraguay vs. New Zealand E Polokwane 42
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Denmark vs. Japan F Rustenburg 43
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Cameroon vs. Netherlands F Cape Town 44
Fri 6/25 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Portugal vs. Brazil G Durban 45
9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Ivory Coast vs. Korea DPR G Nelspruit 46
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Chile vs. Spain H Pretoria 47
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Switzerland vs. Honduras H Bloemfontein 48

2nd Stage – Round of 16

Date Time (ET) Network Matchup Site Match #
Sat 6/26 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio 1st A vs. 2nd B Port Elizabeth 49
2 p.m. ESPN Radio 1st C vs. 2nd D Rustenburg 50
Sun 6/27 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio 1st D vs. 2nd C Bloemfontein 51
2 p.m. ESPN Radio 1st B vs. 2nd A Johannesburg 52
Mon 6/28 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio 1st E vs. 2nd F Durban 53
2 p.m. ESPN Radio 1st G vs. 2nd H Johannesburg 54
Tue 6/29 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio 1st F vs. 2nd E Pretoria 55
2 p.m. ESPN Radio 1st H vs. 2nd G Cape Town 56

2nd Stage — Quarterfinals

Date Time (ET) Network Matchup Site Match #
Fri 7/2 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Winners 53 vs. 54 A Port Elizabeth 57
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Winners 49 vs. 50 B Johannesburg 58
Sat 7/3 9:30 a.m. ESPN Radio Winners 52 vs. 51 C Cape Town 59
2 p.m. ESPN Radio Winners 55 vs. 56 D Johannesburg 60

2nd Stage — Semifinals

Date Time (ET) Network Matchup Site Match #
Tue 7/6 2 p.m. ESPN Radio Winners A vs. C Cape Town 61
Wed 7/7 2 p.m. ESPN Radio Winners B vs. D Durban 62

Third Place Match

Sat 7/10 2 p.m. ESPN Radio Losers – 61 vs. 62 Port Elizabeth 63

2010 FIFA World Cup Title Match

Sun 7/11 1:30 p.m. ESPN Radio Winners – 61 vs. 62 Johannesburg 64

ESPN Inc.’s 2010 FIFA World Cup Coverage in the United States

South Africa 2010 will be ESPN’s eighth FIFA World Cup and coverage of the event promises to be the most comprehensive in company history.  ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will air all 64 matches live and in high definition.  ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband network available in 41 million homes, will feature live English-language simulcasts of matches on ESPN and ESPN2.  ESPN Mobile TV will show 46 matches.  ESPN Deportes, the Spanish-language all sports network, will air up to 40 matches in Portuguese live in the U.S., and ESPN Radio will broadcast all 64 matches.

Additionally, ESPN will present 2010 FIFA World Cup television studio programming from site in South Africa, offering U.S. sports fans the most comprehensive news and information coverage throughout the month-long soccer showcase.  Studio coverage of the quadrennial global event will include SportsCenter segments, a nightly World Cup Live program, and prematch, halftime and postmatch shows, with additional studio programming and World Cup-branded segments, totaling more than 65 hours of coverage, originating from two sets in and around Johannesburg.

ESPN Coverage of Past FIFA World Cup Events:

Germany 2006 – All 64 matches live and in high definition

Korea/Japan 2002 – 58 ESPN and ESPN2 matches live (6 tape-delayed broadcasts on ABC)

France 1998 – All 64 matches live on ESPN (27), ESPN2 (23) and ABC Sports (14)

USA 1994 – All 52 matches – ESPN (41) and ABC (11)

Mexico 1986 – 15 matches on ESPN (U.S. cable television rights)

Spain 1982 – 7 matches on ESPN

– 30 –

Speak Your Mind

*