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) | Match | Site | Match # |
| Fri 6/11 | 9:30 a.m. | South Africa vs. Mexico | Johannesburg | 1 |
| 2 p.m. | Uruguay vs. France | Cape Town | 2 | |
| Sat 6/12 | 7 a.m. | Korea Republic vs. Greece | Port Elizabeth | 3 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Argentina vs. Nigeria | Johannesburg | 4 | |
| 2 p.m. | England vs. USA | Rustenburg | 5 | |
| Sun 6/13 | 7 a.m. | Algeria vs. Slovenia | Polokwane | 6 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Serbia vs. Ghana | Pretoria | 7 | |
| 2 p.m. | Germany vs. Australia | Durban | 8 | |
| Mon 6/14 | 7 a.m. | Netherlands vs. Denmark | Johannesburg | 9 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Japan vs. Cameroon | Bloemfontein | 10 | |
| 2 p.m. | Italy vs. Paraguay | Cape Town | 11 | |
| Tue 6/15 | 7 a.m. | New Zealand vs. Slovakia | Rustenburg | 12 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Ivory Coast vs. Portugal | Port Elizabeth | 13 | |
| 2 p.m. | Brazil vs. Korea DPR | Johannesburg | 14 | |
| Wed 6/16 | 7 a.m. | Honduras vs. Chile | Nelspruit | 15 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Spain vs. Switzerland | Durban | 16 | |
| 2 p.m. | South Africa vs. Uruguay | Pretoria | 17 | |
| Thu 6/17 | 7 a.m. | Argentina vs. Korea Rep. | Johannesburg | 18 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Greece vs. Nigeria | Bloemfontein | 19 | |
| 2 p.m. | France vs. Mexico | Polokwane | 20 | |
| Fri 6/18 | 7 a.m. | Germany vs. Serbia | Port Elizabeth | 21 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Slovenia vs. USA | Johannesburg | 22 | |
| 2 p.m. | England vs. Algeria | Cape Town | 23 | |
| Sat 6/19 | 7 a.m. | Netherlands vs. Japan | Durban | 24 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Ghana vs. Australia | Rustenburg | 25 | |
| 2 p.m. | Cameroon vs. Denmark | Pretoria | 26 | |
| Sun 6/20 | 7 a.m. | Slovakia vs. Paraguay | Bloemfontein | 27 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Italy vs. New Zealand | Nelspruit | 28 | |
| 2 p.m. | Brazil vs. Ivory Coast | Johannesburg | 29 | |
| Mon 6/21 | 7 a.m. | Portugal vs. Korea DPR | Cape Town | 30 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Chile vs. Switzerland | Port Elizabeth | 31 | |
| 2 p.m. | Spain vs. Honduras | Johannesburg | 32 | |
| Tue 6/22 | 9:30 a.m. | Mexico vs. Uruguay | Rustenburg | 33 |
| 9:30 a.m. | France vs. South Africa | Bloemfontein | 34 | |
| 2 p.m. | Nigeria vs. Korea Republic | Durban | 35 | |
| 2 p.m. | Greece vs. Argentina | Polokwane | 36 | |
| Wed 6/23 | 9:30 a.m. | Slovenia vs. England | Port Elizabeth | 37 |
| 9:30 a.m. | USA vs. Algeria | Pretoria | 38 | |
| 2 p.m. | Ghana vs. Germany | Johannesburg | 39 | |
| 2 p.m. | Australia vs. Serbia | Nelspruit | 40 | |
| Thu 6/24 | 9:30 a.m. | Slovakia vs. Italy | Johannesburg | 41 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Paraguay vs. New Zealand | Polokwane | 42 | |
| 2 p.m. | Denmark vs. Japan | Rustenburg | 43 | |
| 2 p.m. | Cameroon vs. Netherlands | Cape Town | 44 | |
| Fri 6/25 | 9:30 a.m. | Portugal vs. Brazil | Durban | 45 |
| 9:30 a.m. | Ivory Coast vs. Korea DPR | Nelspruit | 46 | |
| 2 p.m. | Chile vs. Spain | Pretoria | 47 | |
| 2 p.m. | Switzerland vs. Honduras | Bloemfontein | 48 | |
| 2nd Stage – Round of 16 | ||||
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Site | Match # |
| Sat 6/26 | 9:30 a.m. | 1st A vs. 2nd B | Port Elizabeth | 49 |
| 2 p.m. | 1st C vs. 2nd D | Rustenburg | 50 | |
| Sun 6/27 | 9:30 a.m. | 1st D vs. 2nd C | Bloemfontein | 51 |
| 2 p.m. | 1st B vs. 2nd A | Johannesburg | 52 | |
| Mon 6/28 | 9:30 a.m. | 1st E vs. 2nd F | Durban | 53 |
| 2 p.m. | 1st G vs. 2nd H | Johannesburg | 54 | |
| Tue 6/29 | 9:30 a.m. | 1st F vs. 2nd E | Pretoria | 55 |
| 2 p.m. | 1st H vs. 2nd G | Cape Town | 56 | |
| 2nd Stage — Quarterfinals | ||||
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Site | Match # |
| Fri 7/2 | 9:30 a.m. | Winners 53 vs. 54 | Port Elizabeth | 57 |
| 2 p.m. | Winners 49 vs. 50 | Johannesburg | 58 | |
| Sat 7/3 | 9:30 a.m. | Winners 52 vs. 51 | Cape Town | 59 |
| 2 p.m. | Winners 55 vs. 56 | Johannesburg | 60 | |
| 2nd Stage — Semifinals | ||||
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Site | Match # |
| Tue 7/6 | 2 p.m. | Winners A vs. C | Cape Town | 61 |
| Wed 7/7 | 2 p.m. | Winners B vs. D | Durban | 62 |
| Third Place Match | ||||
| Sat 7/10 | 2 p.m. | Losers – 61 vs. 62 | Port Elizabeth | 63 |
| 2010 FIFA World Cup Title Match | ||||
| Sun 7/11 | 1:30 p.m. | 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.
