ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise live all 32 matches of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 beginning Sunday, June 26 and concluding Sunday, July 17.  The Women’s World Cup will also be available on ESPN’s digital media platforms such as ESPN3.com, ESPNnetworks.com, ESPN Mobile TV and WatchESPN app.

Below are excerpts from a media conference call held Wednesday, June 22, with ESPN Senior Vice President and Executive Producer Jed Drake, analysts Julie Foudy and Tony DiCicco, and espnW.com special contributor Mia Hamm – all former World Cup champions.  Highlights:

Q.  One question for Jed and then one question for Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm.  Jed, what will you consider a successful production, and should ratings be part of that matrix?

JED DRAKE: “There’s always that twofold evaluation.  One is our intrinsic read on how we did as a production team, and then inevitably, in the end more importantly, will be our ratings … But I do believe that the interest in the U.S. team is going to generate a lot of interest, and we’re starting to feel that buzz now.

“I will tell you this – we have put in a lot of effort on this one, and we’re doing some things that we didn’t even consider doing in South Africa, and we’ve learned a lot from South Africa.  We got a lot of very nice praise for what we did, and it was greatly appreciated.  But we’ve learned a lot.  We’ve applied that to what we’re doing, and I’ve got to tell you, I think this thing that we’re about to embark upon is just going to be a spectacular production.

“As far as the ratings … I do believe the X factor here of course is the U.S. team.”

Q.  Given your tenure and great history in the sport, how do you guys negotiate between wanting the Americans to do well, but also being objective in your analysis of this tournament?

JULIE FOUDY: “That is something that we discuss internally a lot because, I mean, the last thing we want to do is not be true to the game.  So my approach has always been to give an objective, or as objective as I can, analysis of a game.  Of course you have some allegiances to the United States team and always will, but at the same time my job is to give perspective on how people are playing and analysis on whether they’re doing good things or maybe they need to be better in certain areas.”

Q.  Going back to 2003 World Cup, Mia, … you talked about the rise of Brazil, and you said the United States better be careful because if it doesn’t get it together tactically and technically a lot of these teams are going to overtake it.  I wonder if you could talk about what happened to the U.S. team and why it’s struggled so much and maybe if what you said after 2003 is maybe coming true a little bit?

MIA HAMM: “What I was feeling was hopefully that all of us, as players, as a federation, as coaches, that we don’t sit there and use our success to hinder our development. That we sit there and go, ‘well, we’re ranked No. 1 in the world, we won a couple World Cups and a couple Olympics, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’  We always need to be evolving …

“With our development in the U.S., we need to continue to recommit ourselves to be better every day.  I know that’s the way we felt as players.  I know when Tony (DiCicco) was our coach, he was committed to that as a coach, and we just want to make sure as a Federation and as a women’s national team program, and that’s the youth players, that we’re all on the same page and want to do that.

“And I will say, I’m part of a task force with US Soccer.  They’ve just hired April (Hendricks) and Jill Ellis as development and technical director.  Everyone is committed to making sure that we continue to give these young soccer players and our women’s national team players the best opportunities to compete and be successful at the highest level.”

JULIE FOUDY: “Mia (Hamm) said it very well.  You can never take your success for granted. You constantly need to develop.  You’re seeing all these countries doing great things at the player development level from a young age, and we have so many young girls in this country playing, which is a distinct advantage.”

Q.  Can you just talk about why the United States has been struggling so much this year and heading into this World Cup?

JULIE FOUDY: “Many countries are doing well at the youth-player side.  They have dedicated more resources to the women’s game, which is phenomenal to see … Teams are getting better.  The field is getting larger and deeper.

“When we were playing, we and the Europeans were largely the show.  So now what you’re seeing is other countries are catching up.”

Q.  This is for Mia:  Do you view in any way this experience you’re about to have media wise at the World Cup as sort of a test of how much you like it?  Do you see yourself doing more media stuff in the future, or is that not your thing?

MIA HAMM: “I look at this as a great opportunity just to share my insight and my passion for the game with the viewers that are watching or going on to espnW.  Maybe give them some insight on the blog posts of just day-of-the-game routines that players have.  What you actually do, which is kind of a whole lot of nothing.

“The one thing I want to make sure, Julie talked about it, about being objective, is never forget how hard this game is, because it is hard.  I watch the team play, and you forget, you’re trying to make decisions under heavy pressure in the smallest spaces in the smallest amount of times.  Let me tell you, the game is a lot easier sitting up in row K in seat 5 than it ever was when I was on the field.

“With regards to the future, I don’t know.  I’m always open to share my love for the game, and we’ll see.  I mean, ESPN could say: ‘Thank you very much, we’ve enjoyed it, but no thank you.’  I’m going to do my best, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Q.  What are some of the biggest challenges you face as broadcasters as you get ready for an event as large as the World Cup?

JULIE FOUDY: “Figuring out which North Korean players are — who they are.  Every time North Korea plays they wear different jerseys and they have no names on the back and it’s hard to get telecasts of them with any rosters or match reports.

“That is actually a challenge from the women’s side, having covered both the men’s and the women’s.  The men’s there’s so much coverage and so much detail and match reports and analysis, and you can find anything online.

“With the women, and they’re making strides, but — and FIFA is starting to make strides in this department, as well, it’s really hard to get good numbers, good stats, match reports on stuff.  So we’ve a long way to go in that regard.

“But at the same time we have an incredible team of people here between the players like Kate Markgraf and Cat Whitehill and Brandi (Chastain) and Bri (Briana Scurry) and then our play-by-play commentators, of course, and a whole research team at ESPN that is dedicated to this – to getting us the best up-to-date information they can.”

Q.  For Jed, being at this tournament that’s being played all over the country, all over Germany, is it kind of a logistical nightmare to put it together…?

JED DRAKE: “We decided to make this a far more interesting challenge … by taking our host operations on the road so that we could give our viewers the best possible tour of Germany and sense of place throughout this fascinating country.

“We are not putting as much of an emphasis on the cultural aspect of this country as we did in South Africa (2010 FIFA World Cup), but we are paying particular attention to the nuances and the sort of wonders of this country.  We took a bus tour two months ago to scout all the different locations we’re going to host from, and it was really eye-opening, because the images that I had of Germany in my mind were changed rather dramatically by what I saw.  And it’s that very thing that I hope we will carry forthwith for our viewers because it’s a fascinating country and filled with fascinating people who frame this great event.”

Q.  Julie, what in particular do you like about the U.S. team and what challenges do you think it’s going to face if it’s going to get to the finals?

JULIE FOUDY: “Things I like:  I like that they have some great depth and some players who can come off the bench.  For example, Alex Morgan, who provides great speed and a total turn-and-burn type of mentality where she’s going straight to goal.   I really like Lauren Cheney coming off the bench because she can go up front, she can come in that holding area in the midfield, and she can even play out wide.

“I like that Carli Lloyd and Shannon Boxx have changed a bit of their positioning in midfield and that seems to be working better.  The fact that the U.S. has players coming back from injury like Hope Solo in goal is huge, and having her back and confident was always a question mark, and the fact that she’s playing as well as she has been is good news for the U.S.  Christie Rampone back from a groin strain and some other nagging injuries; Abby Wambach has been injured pretty consistently for the last year with a bad heel.  So I think that all bodes well for the United States.

“The challenge is you have 13 players on the roster who have never experienced a World Cup – quite a large number.  I don’t know how that compares with other World Cups…  The fact that you have a lot of players who haven’t played in this type of atmosphere in Germany is a concern.”

Q.  Tony, your assessment of Pia (Sundhage)?

TONY DiCICCO: “Well, I think Pia is, first of all, a very good player manager.  She showed that in the 2008 Olympics.  Losing Abby Wambach in the last tune-up game and then losing the first game against Norway, but yet coming back and winning the Olympic gold medal.  I remember them walking off the field after that loss against Norway.  I said, ‘I know they just lost, but they’re walking off the field more confident than I saw them last year after they won in the 2007 World Cup.’  So I think she’s very good at player management.

“She’s given them a level of sophistication of the world game.  She’s brought a slightly different style, and sometimes it’s a little bit of Scandinavian style.  When I look at the team that I coached in 1999, this is a much bigger, stronger team with not as many small athletes.  That’s the type of athlete she likes to coach.

“As Julie said, they’ve got a great goalkeeper, probably the best in the world.  They’ve got one of the best strikers in the world.  They’ve got a good, solid core down the center.  This is something she’s built over the last few years, and they’ve got great depth.”

Q.  This is for anybody.  Compare and contrast the general things about the teams, starting from, if you could, maybe ’91, then ’99, and the team now.  Just compare and contrast how those teams are in the U.S.?

TONY DiCICCO: “’91, the competition was, I don’t know, 50 or 60 teams worldwide.  Now the competition is 150 teams.  There wasn’t as many teams that could win it back then; USA, Norway and maybe China – although I think they wilted being the host.

“In ’95, it was a smaller event – regional event in Sweden.  So the ’99 World Cup was such an important event for the game, especially for the game of soccer, especially women’s soccer.  In 1999, there were actually more teams that could win it than this year.  I think you had Norway, defending champions, USA, China, Germany – our quarterfinal win against Germany in 1999 might be the last time they’ve lost in the World Cup, and Brazil.

“This year, in my opinion, Brazil, Germany and the U.S. are the three teams that can win it, but the rest of the teams are at a higher level than any previous World Cup.  So it’s hard to compare teams from like the ’99 team to this team.  I do know that the ’99 team was certainly better at the outside back.  Meaning, Brandi Chastain and Joy Fawcett were great defenders, but they were also fantastic attacking players, so they were part of our play-making corps along with Julie, Kristine Lilly, Michelle Akers in the midfield.

As good as this team is, that would be the one thing that I would like to add to it is more speed.

Q.  Continuing that same theme, and Tony already expressed it, but what do Mia and Julie think are the biggest challenges facing this U.S. team?

JULIE FOUDY: Well, you’re playing a German team that is two-time defending champion in their own country, so that’s a big challenge, of course.  And the field is deeper than I’ve seen it ever.  You’re seeing an England team — we did the game in April where the U.S. lost 2-1 in London, and that was a tremendous English team.

It’s different now.  It’s a much more level playing field, to throw that cliché out there.  It really is true, which is great for the game.”

TONY DiCICCO: “If I could just add to that, my concern with the U.S. team is it hasn’t played consistently well this year.  It has great games and then all of a sudden, the kind of a game that seems sub-par, and I’m not sure why that is.  And that would be my concern is for them to really get a consistent World Cup together where every game, they’re playing at their peak, and if they do that, they have a great chance of winning.”

Q.  Tony, can you talk about how important Hope Solo is to the success of the U.S. team as she comes back from her major shoulder surgery?

TONY DiCICCO: “It’s hard to win at this level, at these types of events, without a top goalkeeper, and Hope Solo right now in my opinion is the best in the world.  She’s a great athlete.  She has a great mentality when she gets in goal.  She has almost an arrogance of how she plays.  She’s very good with her feet …”

Q.  Tony, why do you think the U.S. has fallen short in the past couple World Cups?  Is it they weren’t the best team on that day or do you think it’s something deeper?

TONY DiCICCO: “We’ve lost our way as far as our player development scheme, and we haven’t developed the same level of players that I think we enjoyed earlier.  We still have some great players …  Having April Heinrichs, Jill Ellis, taking over the technical direction for the U.S. girls, I think is going to help.

“But on any given day, you can lose to a great team.  In 2007 it was Brazil.  In 2003 it was Germany.  These are two of the great teams in the world.  You know, I love the fact that we want our women to win everything.  It reminds me of Brazilian men.  We’re not happy unless we’re winning it and we’re winning it with style and flair.  And I think that’s awesome for the U.S. women to have that as their goal, and I think it’s also one of our strengths.”

Q.  Mia, espnW.com has really evolved a lot, and as a contributor can you talk about the importance of having this new online targeted women’s outlet?

MIA HAMM: “I think it’s incredibly important.  We kind of view the game differently than our male counterparts.  Sometimes there are certain environments that I think are intimidating for us when we walk in.  But this is a great environment for female sports fans, whether you’re a fan of the Women’s World Cup or the Dallas Mavericks that just won. Just an opportunity to go and learn and share and see things from a women’s perspective is fantastic.

“I feel incredibly blessed and excited to contribute with espnW.”

Q.  Tony, you touched upon earlier that the rest of the world is getting better.  I’m wondering is it mostly tactics or are they also getting better athletes?

TONY DiCICCO: “Both.  You know, for years it was a stigma about the daughters around the world playing the macho game of soccer.  That’s kind of been erased now.  Just as American parents always wanted their daughters to play – their first introduction into team sports was soccer, that’s happening around the world.”

Q.  A couple questions on the mobile studio for Jed.  What’s the thinking behind going this route, and what’s it going to add to your coverage this year rather than having setups in every city?

JED DRAKE: “In 2010 we had that beautiful set that we built that had Soccer City (Johannesburg) directly behind it, literally a two-minute walk to the international broadcast center.

“This year the broadcast center is in Frankfurt.  It is at the stadium … However, it is in the middle of a nature reserve and it is surrounded by a great deal of foliage and nothing else.  We had to look elsewhere for a set that would have an environment behind it, look and feel vibrant …

“We’re going to take it on the road … We’re going to go on this tour of Germany and bring some of the feel, the vibe, the energy, the cultural aspects that have become part of our coverage to our viewers.

“We’ll start in Berlin with a big opening match; we’ll end with the semis and finals in Frankfurt; and along the way we’ll go to a bunch of other places and expose our viewers to a lot of things that they hadn’t seen before.”

Q.  How does this differ from a regular remote, and how does this differ from say a 53-foot truck or something, and also, will there be additional trucks on hand to support or will it be sort of self-supportive?

JED DRAKE: “No, there are additional trucks.  It’s one of those things when you asked me that question I kind of rubbed my forehead a little bit.  But yeah, there are support trucks with “Big Blue.”  It is completely different than what you would think of as a normal mobile unit.  It’s got hydraulics in it that take the set up 21 feet, and we can go open air, we can go closed air, behind it.  It rolls around the country with satellite trucks, and yeah, it’s sort of a modern marvel.  It’s really never been done to this extent before.”

Q.  You talked about the overall field in the World Cup perhaps being the best ever, and we know the favorites, Brazil, Germany, and the U.S.  Who are perhaps some of the dark horses that are likely to do well this tournament?

JULIE FOUDY: “France could be listed as a dark horse.  They just won the UEFA champions league, the women’s version, with Lyon.  There are 10 of those players from that team.  They play a really technical, fun style on the ground and have this core group together.  A few of them played in the WPS.

“Canada has been talked about as a dark horse. Their new coach, Carolina Morace, who was the former Italian player and who was also the coach of Italy in the early 2000 era, brought a whole different style from what we’ve seen of Canada in the past.  Morace has tried to put the game on the ground and make it much more technical, and they love her in Canada.

“The third one has never made it past the quarterfinal stage in the World Cup but may make a deeper run is England.  They’ve got much more depth than they have in the past.”

TONY DiCICCO: “What’s interesting about that, and I think most people do pick Canada and France.  What’s interesting is they’re in the same group as Germany.  Canada and France can’t both come out.  If we can see that Germany is going to come out, Canada and France can’t both come out.  By the way, Nigeria is in that group. Julie and Mia and I, from having played against Nigeria, they’re incredibly athletic.  They’re going to have a say in who comes out in that group.”

Q.  For Mia and Julie, does covering the World Cup make you miss being a player?  What do you miss the most?

MIA HAMM: “I miss my teammates.  I miss competing at that level, training for something.  That’s sometimes what we forget about these players … That environment, you learn a lot about yourself, you learn a lot about your teammates and your coaching staff.  I just feel very fortunate to be a part of teams that were – I mean, we were one unit when we walked in there, and that’s extremely important.  So I miss that.  I miss that rush of being in this tournament.”

JULIE FOUDY: “Well said.  I miss the fact that you’re playing to be the best in the world.  Not many can say they’re world champions and that adrenaline rush of everything is on the line that you have trained for and it matters in these next two weeks, two and a half weeks.  I mean, there’s nothing that replicates that feeling, that intensity.

“Running along the river with Brandi (Chastain) today was pretty competitive, but it doesn’t replicate that.

“It’s just – it’s once every four years, and for soccer players, this is it.  This is the pinnacle.  I mean, the Olympics are great and wonderful, but this is the World Cup.  That feeling is the best.”

ESPN’s comprehensive coverage of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup (June 26 – July 17) from Germany will include all 32 matches televised live and in high definition on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3.com, as well as extensive coverage on ESPN’s digital media platforms,
including ESPNnetworks.com, the WatchESPN App, and ESPN Mobile TV.  Today, executive producer Jed Drake announced the opening round match assignments for the three ESPN
commentator teams. Highlights:

• The lead team of Ian Darke and former U.S. Women’s National Team captain Julie
  Foudy will call the Germany vs. Canada opening match in Berlin on Sunday, June 26, at 11:30 a.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN3.com), all United States team matches in Group C, and the final in Frankfurt on Sunday, July 17, at 2 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN3.com);
• Adrian Healey will pair with former U.S. National Team defender Kate Markgraf, beginning Sunday (June 26) with Nigeria vs. France in Sinsheim
  on the opening day of the World Cup. Healey will also call a pair of matches with former U.S. Women’s National Team coach Tony DiCicco – Brazil vs. Australia (June 29) and Canada vs. France (June 30) next week.
• Beth Mowins will work with former U.S. National Team player Cat Whitehill, beginning with the Japan-New Zealand match Monday, June 27, in Bochum.

Assignments for the knockout round will be announced as the tournament progresses.

2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Groupings

2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup TV Schedule – ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com

u All times EASTERN u Schedule is subject to change u All matches in high definition

u FIFA match #s

2^nd Stage – Quarterfinals

2^nd Stage – Semifinals

Third Place Match

2010 FIFA World Cup Title Match

Click here for previous ESPN commentator announcements.

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ESPN will utilize a unique mobile studio throughout the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany (June 26 – July 17) that will travel to six different cities and historic locations throughout the country. The set will be used for pre-match, halftime and post-match shows live, as well as World Cup-branded segments on SportsCenter, First Take and ESPNEWS.

The mobile studio unit, a more dynamic and updated version of the acclaimed pit studio used for ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown, was built specifically for Women’s World Cup.  It has two levels with the studio set – including host and three analyst positions – on the top floor, and a fully-functional control room on the lower level with its own audio mixer and video switcher.  The mobile unit expands to 25 feet high and up to 16 feet sideways.  In transit, it travels as a compact 18-wheel truck.  A hydraulic lift and an electric motor expand and contract the dimensions of the unit, making it possible to navigate the narrow streets of historic German city centers.

The studio unit is outfitted with special lighting, adaptable to filming on dense or bright, sunny days, three cameras, and a Jib camera.  The studio background offers an open-air setting or an encased 360 degrees with a glass window which can be used in inclement weather; both will allow viewers to see the pageantry and scenic backdrops from the historic German cities. The truck’s exterior is also wrapped with a sweeping image of a diving goalkeeper.

The mobile unit, named “Big Blue,” was assembled in Holland over the past six months.

The planned route during Germany 2011 (subject to change):

June 25-26:  Berlin “Olympiastadion” – Site of the Germany 2011 opening match between host and defending champion Germany and Canada. The historic stadium hosted the 1936 Olympics, and the 1974 and 2006 FIFA World Cup matches, including the Italy-France final in 2006.

June 28-29:  Dresden, overlooking “Church of Our Lady” – The Lutheran church built from 1726-1743 was heavily damaged in World War II. The church’s restoration, which started in 1994 and was completed in 2005, is now a symbol of reconciliation in Germany.

July 1-3: Heidelberg “Marktplatz” (Market Place) – One of the main squares and a popular destination at the Heidelberg city center, adjacent to the historic Town Hall and Neptune Fountain. The U.S. Army has had a military base in Heidelberg since 1951.

July 5-6: Wolfsburg’s “Phaeno Science Center” – A unique architectural achievement, the interactive science center in downtown Wolfsburg illuminates at night. The city is also known as the home and headquarters of Volkswagen.

July 9-10: Dresden, outside the Opera House – For the quarterfinals, the mobile unit will return to Dresden, originating from outside the opera house of the Saxon State Opera, built in 1841, beside the River Elbe.

July 13-17: Frankfurt, outside “Women’s World Cup Stadium” – The site of the final match and the International Broadcast Center for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

ESPN & the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 (June 26 – July 17) will be ESPN’s fifth straight, having televised the quadrennial event since 1995.  ESPN and ESPN2 will air all 32 matches live and in high definition.  ESPN3.com, ESPN’s signature broadband network in 70 million homes, will offer simulcasts of all matches, and ESPN’s mobile platforms will also provide coverage of 26 matches.  All programming on ESPN and ESPN2 will also be available online through
ESPNnetworks.com, which is accessible to fans who receive their video service from an affiliated provider.

For the first time, ESPN will present all FIFA Women’s World Cup studio programming from host nation Germany.  The comprehensive news, highlights and information coverage of the quadrennial tournament featuring the top-16 women’s national teams in the world will include, for the first time, pre-match, halftime and post-match shows, as well
as World Cup-branded segments on SportsCenter, First Take and ESPNEWS.

Additionally, ESPN’s first dedicated content and digital hub designed to serve, inform and inspire female athletes and fans, www.espnW.com, will offer one of the most comprehensive online coverage of FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011.  With four writers in Germany, four active Women’s World Cup players blogging, and a collection of former players serving as analysts, www.espnW.com will also be the home for all Women’s World Cup edited content and features created for television.

Mia Hamm will bring her years of international soccer playing expertise to espnW during the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.  Throughout the three-week tournament, Hamm will provide blog postings, insights and interviews for espnw.com along with select appearances on ESPN telecasts as a special contributor for espnW which is ESPN’s first dedicated content and digital business designed to serve, inform and inspire female athletes and fans.

One of the best female soccer players to ever play the game and one of the most capped players in history, Hamm led the 1999 US Women’s National Team to victory in the FIFA Women’s World Cup that year.  Hamm joins fellow US Women’s National team teammates Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain and Brianna Scurry as well as former head coach Tony DiCicco, providing analysis during ESPN’s multiplatform coverage of the tournament.

“Mia Hamm is the one of the most decorated female soccer players in history, and we couldn’t think of a better analyst to join espnW for the 2011 FIFA World Cup.,” said Laura Gentile, vice president, espnW.  “Mia brings a wealth of knowledge about international soccer play as well as what it takes to win at any level.  Her expertise will be invaluable for our fans as they watch the tournament proceed.”

espnW Coverage Plans:

Throughout the 2011 FIFA World Cup, espnW will provide comprehensive coverage from Germany, including:

 
• Focused international coverage featuring stories by Joanne Gerstner, Michelle Smith, Beau Dure and Jacqueline Purdy
• Daily player blogs from the United States’ Heather Mitts, Canada’s captain Christine Sinclair, New Zealand’s Ali Riley and Sweden’s Caroline Seger
• espnW embeds with Team England to chronicle their tournament run
• Feature stories on Equatorial Guinea’s run to its first World Cup, the history of women’s soccer in Germany, and the Top 10 Women’s World Cup Moments
• The espnW HERoics documentary film series will also be available on the site in its entirety

 

Mia Hamm

Hamm is widely recognized as the world’s best all-around women’s soccer player of all-time.  She was the youngest player ever to play for the US Women’s National Team  at age 15 and went on to play for 17 years, retiring in 2004.  She won two FIFA World Cup titles as part of the national team (1991 and 1999) as well as two Olympic gold medals (1996 and 2004). She is the first-ever three-time US Soccer athlete of the year (1994-1996) and was named the women’s FIFA World Player of the Year the first two times that award was given (in 2001 and 2002).  She is also listed as one of FIFA’s 125 best living players.

Hamm played collegiately at the University of North Carolina where she led her team to four consecutive NCAA championships.  She was an All-American and Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year for her last three years.  She graduated with a degree in political science.

Currently, Hamm devotes her time to the Mia Hamm Foundation which focuses on providing support for raising funds and awareness for families needing marrow or cord blood transplants and continuing the growth in opportunities for young women in sports.

ESPN & the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 (June 26 – July 17) will be ESPN’s fifth straight, having televised the quadrennial event since 1995.  ESPN and ESPN2 will air all 32 matches live and in high definition.  ESPN3.com, ESPN’s signature broadband network in 70 million homes, will offer simulcasts of all matches, and ESPN’s mobile platforms will also provide coverage of 26 matches.  All programming on ESPN and ESPN2 will also be available online through ESPNnetworks.com which is accessible to fans who receive their video service from an affiliated provider.

For the first time, ESPN will present all of its’ FIFA Women’s World Cup studio programming from host nation Germany.  The comprehensive news, highlights and information coverage of the quadrennial tournament featuring the top-16 women’s national teams in the world will include, for the first time, pre-match, halftime and post-match shows, as well as World Cup-branded segments on SportsCenter, First Take and ESPNEWS.

About espnW:

espnW’s mission is to serve, inspire and inform today’s female athlete and fan. The site provides an engaging

environment where women are an integral part of the sports conversation, share their perspective on men’s and women’s sports and find the motivation and support for their athletic goals and interests. Founded in July 2009, espnW, [espnw.com], is an emerging business that consists primarily of a digital product suite including pc web, mobile web and social media.  The espnW blog launched in Dec. 2010 with an enhanced web site debuting on April 26, 2011.  Founding partners Nike, Gatorade and P& G provide content to espnW.com  The Women’s Sports Foundation is espnW’s official charity of choice.

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TV Analysts Have Played in 88 Women’s World Cup Matches

Five former FIFA Women’s World Cup players from four countries – USA’s Kate Markgraf and Cat Whitehill, Mexico’s Mónica González, Australia’s Alicia Ferguson and Viola Odebrecht from Germany – will join ESPN as match and studio analysts for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, June 26 – July 17.  The five analysts will be joined by play-by-play commentators Adrian Healey and Beth Mowins to round out ESPN’s commentary team for the quadrennial event.

In all, the analysts on ESPN’s FIFA Women’s World Cup roster, including lead match analyst Julie Foudy and studio analysts Brandi Chastain, Tony DiCicco and Briana Scurry, have played or coached in 88 World Cup matches combined, winning seven titles. (Click here for previous ESPN commentator announcements.)

ESPN will use three commentator teams for the 32 matches, led by Ian Darke and former U.S. Women’s National Team captain Foudy, who will call the Germany vs. Canada opening match on Sunday, June 26, at 11 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN3.com), and the title match on Sunday, July 17, at 2 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN3.com).

• Healey, a 2010 FIFA World Cup match commentator and the lead voice for MLS on ESPN, will pair with analyst Markgraf on the second team.  Former U.S. Women’s National Team coach DiCicco will also serve as analyst on select matches, working with Healey.
• Mowins, one of the most versatile play-by-play commentators on ESPN, will work with analyst Whitehill as the third commentator team.

In the studio, award winning ESPN journalist and news anchor Bob Ley and ESPN UK’s soccer presenter Rebecca Lowe will share host duties.  Ley and Lowe will be joined by Chastain, Scurry and DiCicco as primary studio analysts.  Ferguson, who played in the 1999 and 2007 Women’s World Cups, will combine studio appearances with insider reports on teams from the Asian Football Confederation (Australia, North Korea and Japan).  Gonzalez, a founding member of the Mexican women’s national team who played in the 1999 Women’s World Cup, will provide a fresh and current analysis of Mexico’s team, having been among the last cuts for the team’s Women’s World Cup roster.  Odebrecht, a member of Germany’s 2003 Women’s World Cup winning team, will provide insight on Union of European Football Association (UEFA) teams – Germany, England, Sweden, Norway and France.

Brief biographical background:

• Alicia Ferguson: One of Australia’s fiercest women’s soccer competitors, Ferguson played for the Matildas in the 1999 and 2007 Women’s World Cups.  Her tenacity earned her the dubious distinction as the player who received the fastest red card in Women’s World Cup history – in the second minute of a group stage match vs. China in 1999.
• Mónica González:  A founding member of the Mexican national team in 1998, González was one of the leaders in the last team to represent Mexico in the Women’s World Cup.  She was among the last players cut from Mexico’s 2011 World Cup roster.
• Kate Markgraf: One of the best defenders in U.S. Women’s National Team history.  Though she was the least experienced starter in 1999, having joined the team a year earlier, Markgraf helped anchor the defense for the United States’ 1999 Women’s World Cup winning team.  Markgraf played in 201 international matches from 1998 – 2008, the seventh most in the U.S. women’s team history.
• Viola Oderbrecht:  Former Florida State University player and graduate, Oderbrecht played 29 matches for Germany’s women’s national team.  She was on Germany’s 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup winning team.  She currently lives in the
• Cat Whitehill: Played 12 matches in two World Cups (2003 and 2007) for the U.S. Women’s National Team and made 134 international match appearances in a career that spanned 10 years (2000 – 2010).  Whitehill won the 2003 Herman Trophy (best U.S. college player) and led the University of North Carolina to two NCAA titles in 2000 and 2003.

Play-by-play commentators:

• Adrian Healey: The voice of Major League Soccer on ESPN, Healey will be calling his third FIFA World Cup after working on Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010.  His credits include providing play-by-play commentaries for ESPN during the UEFA European Football Championship 2008 (EURO 2008) and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
• Beth Mowins:  One of ESPN’s leading play-by-play commentators for college sports, Mowins returns to the FIFA Women’s World Cup after calling matches for ESPN in 2003.  She currently calls NCAA Championships in softball, soccer, tennis and volleyball.  She also works college football and basketball games on ESPNU.

ESPN & the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 (June 26 – July 17) will be ESPN’s fifth straight, having televised the quadrennial event since 1995.  ESPN and ESPN2 will air all 32 matches live and in high definition.  ESPN3.com, ESPN’s signature broadband network in 70 million homes, will offer simulcasts of all matches, and ESPN’s mobile platforms will also provide coverage of 26 matches.  All programming on ESPN and ESPN2 will also be available online through ESPNnetworks.com, which is accessible to fans who receive their video service from an affiliated provider.

For the first time, ESPN will present all of its FIFA Women’s World Cup studio programming from host nation Germany.  The comprehensive news, highlights and information coverage of the quadrennial tournament featuring the top-16 women’s national teams in the world will include, for the first time, pre-match, halftime and post-match shows, as well as World Cup-branded segments on SportsCenter, First Take and ESPNEWS.

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