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ESPN releases broadcaster pairings for second week of World Cup

ClintDempseyUSA1-Ghana2014 (Getty)

By TIM FONTENAULT

ESPN has released their broadcaster pairings for the second week of the World Cup, which concludes with the final matches of the group stage.

As always, Ian Darke and Taylor Twellman will be on the call for the United States Men’s National Team, taking charge of both Sunday’s match against Portugal and Thursday’s against Germany. On Tuesday, the pair will split up, with Darke joining Steve McManaman for England’s match against Costa Rica while Twellman joins Daniel Mann for the Group C clash between Japan and Colombia.

ESPN’s go-to commentators for Mexico, Fernando Palomo and Alejandro Moreno, will call El Tri’s critical Group A finale against Croatia on Monday. They will stray from their Mexico coverage on Friday to team up on the call for the Honduras-Ecuador match. Palomo will join Kasey Keller for Honduras’ finale against Switzerland. At the same time, Moreno will be with Adrian Healey for the other Group E match between France and Ecuador.

J.P. Dellacamera and Tommy Smyth will again lead the radio coverage. The duo will have the ESPN Radio call for both U.S. games while Mark Donaldson and Janusz Michallik will have the Mexico finale.

Here’s a look at ESPN’s broadcaster pairings for the first week of the tournament:

Date Time (ET) Network Match Group Site Match #
Fri 6/20 11:30 a.m. ESPN Italy vs. Costa Rica
TV: Derek Rae, Kasey Keller
Radio: JP Dellacamera, Tommy Smyth
D Recife 24
  2:30 p.m. ESPN Switzerland vs. France
TV: Daniel Mann, Efan Ekoku
Radio: Ross Dyer, Shep Messing
E Salvador 25
  5:30 p.m. ESPN Honduras vs. Ecuador
TV: Fernando Palomo, Alejandro Moreno
Radio: Mark Donaldson, Janusz Michallik
E Curitiba 26
Sat 6/21 11:30 a.m. ESPN Argentina vs. Iran
TV: Adrian Healey, Roberto Martinez
Radio: Donaldson, Michallik
F Belo Horizonte 27
  2:30 p.m. ESPN Germany vs. Ghana
TV: Jon Champion, Stewart Robson
Radio: Dellacamera, Smyth
G Fortaleza 29
  5:30 p.m. ESPN Nigeria vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina
TV: Mann, Ekoku
Radio: Dyer, Messing
F Cuiaba 28
Sun 6/22 11:30 a.m. ABC Belgium vs. Russia
TV: Rae, Ekoku
Radio: Donaldon, Paul Mariner
H Rio de Janeiro 31
  2:30 p.m. ABC South Korea vs. Algeria
TV: Mann, Keller
Radio: Dyer, Michallik
H Porto Alegre 32
  5:30 p.m. ESPN United States vs. Portugal
TV: Darke, Taylor Twellman
Radio: Dellacamera, Smyth
G Manaus 30
Mon 6/23 11:30 a.m. ESPN Netherlands vs. Chile
TV: Champion, Robson
Radio: Dyer, Messing
B Sao Paulo 36
  11:30 a.m. ESPN2 Australia vs. Spain
TV: Mann, Keller
Radio: Dellacamera, Smyth
B Curitiba 35
  3:30 p.m. ESPN Croatia vs. Mexico
TV: Palomo, Moreno
Radio: Donaldson, Michallik
A Recife 34
  3:30 p.m. ESPN2 Cameroon vs. Brazil
TV: Healey, Ekoku
Radio: Dyer, Messing
A Brasilia 33
Tue 6/24 11:30 a.m. ESPN Italy vs. Uruguay
TV: Champion, Robson
Radio: Dellacamera, Smyth
D Natal 39
  11:30 a.m. ESPN2 Costa Rica vs. England
TV: Darke, Steve McManaman
Radio: Dyer, Michallik
D Belo Horizonte 40
  3:30 p.m. ESPN Japan vs. Colombia
TV: Mann, Twellman
Radio: Donaldson, Mariner
C Cuiaba 37
  3:30 p.m. ESPN2 Greece vs. Ivory Coast
TV: Rae, Keller
Radio: Dyer, Michallik
C Fortaleza 38
Wed 6/25 11:30 a.m. ESPN Nigeria vs. Argentina
TV: Rae, Ekoku
Radio: Dellacamera, Smyth
F Porto Alegre 43
  11:30 a.m. ESPN2 Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran
TV: Mann, Craig Burley
Radio: Dyer, Messing
F Salvador 44
  3:30 p.m. ESPN Ecuador vs. France
TV: Healey, Moreno
Radio: Dyer, Messing
E Rio de Janeiro 42
  3:30 p.m. ESPN2 Honduras vs. Switzerland
TV: Palomo, Keller
Radio: Donaldson, Michallik
E Manaus 41
Thu 6/26 11:30 a.m. ESPN United States vs. Germany
TV: Darke, Twellman
Radio: Dellacamera, Smyth
G Recife 45
  11:30 a.m. ESPN2 Portugal vs. Ghana
TV: Champion, Robson
Radio: Dyer, Messing
G Brasilia 46
  3:30 p.m. ESPN South Korea vs. Belgium
TV: Healey, Moreno
Radio: Donaldson, Mariner
H Sao Paulo 47
  3:30 p.m. ESPN2 Algeria vs. Russia
TV: Rae, Ekoku
Radio: Dyer, Messing
H Curitiba 48

What do you think of these pairings? Have you enjoyed ESPN’s coverage of the World Cup to this point?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Darke was pretty bad today. I get that he is going to root for England, and I have no problem with that. The guy’s only human. But going on and on about the yellow card not given was pure homerism, and his comments when the Uruguayan player who was nearly knocked unconscious in the 60th minute was borderline disgraceful. Would he have questioned a European player so quickly?

    Then his apology… “I’m sorry if I implied…” You didn’t imply anything. You directly stated he was lying on the ground wasting time with 30 minutes to go in the game, even as Macca tried to say there was something wrong.

    I like Ian, but this was not one for the memory books

    Reply
  2. Looking forward to Darke’s next call of an amazing USA goal against Portugal. Perhaps throwing back some references to the last beatdown we gave them.

    “OOooohhh lightning does strike twice!”

    Reply
  3. I’ve really enjoyed Champion and Robson so far this World Cup. Fantastic pairing (I believe they work together in the EPL as well).

    Reply
    • Agreed, my favorite as well. Fantastic job on the Australia-Netherlands match, aside from failing to realize that Martins Indi got knocked out.

      Reply

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