ESPN Networks to Televise 28 Soccer Matches May 23 – June 7

ESPN networks – ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3, ESPNU and WatchESPN – will combine to televise live 28 soccer matches Thursday, May 23, through Friday, June 7.  The schedule is highlighted by the U.S. Men’s National Team preparatory matches ahead of the team’s three 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying contests in June, the first leg of a home-and-away Liga MX Final between Cruz Azul and Club America, and the 14 European qualifying matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 7.  Highlights:

• The matches will begin Thursday, May 23, at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and WatchESPN with a matchup between two of the top three teams in the 2012-13 Barclays Premier League – Chelsea vs. Manchester City – live from Busch Stadium in St. Louis.  Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman and Alexi Lalas will provide commentary.
• ESPN Deportes, ESPN2 and WatchESPN will present Cruz Azul vs. Club America in the first leg of a home-and-away Liga MX Final between Mexico City’s two popular clubs on Thursday, May 23, beginning at 10 p.m.  ESPN Deportes Radio’s Jorge Ramos and Hernan Pereyra will provide Spanish-language commentary live from Estadio Azul in Mexico City.  Dan Thomas and Alejandro Moreno will call the match in English on ESPN2.
• This week’s Major League Soccer on ESPN will feature the Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders on ESPN2 and WatchESPN at 11 p.m. Healey and Twellman will call the match, with Lalas providing on-site studio analysis.
• ESPN’s English-language commentators for the Mexican Men’s National Team – Fernando Palomo (play-by-play), analyst Alejandro Palomo and reporter John Sutcliffe – will be at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Friday, May 31, at 9 p.m., to call the international friendly between reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup champions Mexico and Nigeria, the African Cup of Nations title holders, on ESPNEWS and WatchESPN
• Play-by-play commentator Ian Darke will call two U.S. Men’s National Team matches ahead of its three matches in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying series in June.  Darke, analyst Taylor Twellman, reporter Monica Gonzalez and studio analyst Alexi Lalas will call USA vs. Belgium on May 29, at 8 p.m., live from FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.  On Sunday, June 2, Darke, Twellman and Gonzalez will call USA vs. Germany, at 2 p.m., live from Washington, D.C.  Award-winning studio host Bob Ley, analysts Kasey Keller and Lalas will provide studio commentary from RFK Stadium. 
• On Friday, June 7, ESPN networks will air 14 European qualifying matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup highlighted by Czech Republic vs. Italy at 2:45 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN.

 The schedule (subject to change):

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