USA vs. Jamaica on Thursday, Oct. 7, kicks off multi-platform coverage of USMNT qualifiers for World Cup 2022
USA vs. Costa Rica (Oct. 13) and USA vs. Mexico (Nov. 12) also live on ESPN2 and ESPN+
Pregame Countdown Live digital shows to stream from stadium sites across ESPN social platforms
Musician Aloe Blacc’s new song “Made From The Stars” is ESPN’s first anthem for USMNT qualifying matches
UEFA Nations League Final on ESPN; semifinals on ESPN2
ESPN platforms to showcase more than 85 World Cup qualifying matches from Africa and Europe
ESPN2 and ESPN+ will combine to present the U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup qualifying match against Jamaica on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. ET, live from the new Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. Thursday’s match is the first of three straight pivotal World Cup-qualifying matches for the USMNT on ESPN2. The three matches will also be simulcast live on ESPN+, marking the first USMNT games on ESPN+, the industry-leading sports streaming service.
ESPN Coverage of Upcoming USMNT World Cup Qualifying Match
*Subject to change
Commentators
Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman will provide match commentary while global sports correspondent Sam Borden – following his month-long EURO 2020 assignment this summer – makes his reporter debut covering the USMNT. Former U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Jermaine Jones will also make his ESPN television debut as a studio analyst, alongside Kasey Keller and host Sebastian Salazar, for pregame, halftime and postgame segments. Studio coverage for the next two USMNT home World Cup qualifying matches will originate from site – Oct. 7 (Austin) and Oct. 13 (Columbus, Ohio).
Countdown Live: USA-Jamaica Pregame Special (Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET)
Countdown Live – the digital live soccer pregame series available on ESPN Social platforms – will preview its first U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup qualifying match on Thursday, with host Sebastian Salazar and analysts Kasey Keller and Jermaine Jones. Countdown Live: USA-Jamaica Pregame Special from Q2 Stadium is the first of four pregame shows leading into upcoming World Cup qualifying matches on ESPN platforms. The shows are available on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and the ESPN App. The ESPN Countdown Live soccer pregame series features matchup previews from ESPN analysts, player interviews, up-to-the-minute team news, special guests and more. Previous editions have included live shows from the 2019 FA Cup Final in Wembley Stadium; 2019 MLS Cup in Seattle; several El Trafico – LAFC vs. LA Galaxy – matches; and other marquee MLS rivalry contests.
Aloe Blacc’s “Made From The Stars”: ESPN’s production and marketing anthem for USMNT qualifying campaign
ESPN will use Aloe Blacc’s new track “Made From The Stars” in its presentation of all U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup qualifying matches, beginning Thursday with USA-Jamaica. Blacc’s song, released Friday, Oct. 1, will be used in and out of breaks and within overall coverage of the upcoming U.S. team’s campaign for a 2022 World Cup spot. This is the first time ESPN is using a musical anthem in its coverage and marketing of a USMNT World Cup qualifying campaign.
“Made From The Stars” reflects the story of the U.S. team – a squad comprised of young, up-and-coming stars who carry with them the patriotism of the Stars and Stripes. In addition to the track, Blacc narrates the promotional spots for the World Cup qualifying series on ESPN platforms, created by the company’s award-winning consumer marketing team: https://wdrv.it/c54d7f797.
Aloe Blacc, on his new song and USMNT: “‘Made From The Stars’ is a motivational song to inspire us to achieve our wildest dreams, push us beyond the finish line, and overcome any obstacles to reach our goals. It's the anthem we all need in our lives right now and perfectly embodies the young USA team’s journey to reaching the World Cup while playing for the Stars and Stripes.”
UEFA Nations League finals on ESPN Networks
ESPN will present the four matches of the UEFA Nations League Finals from Wednesday to Sunday, Oct. 6-10, across its linear television networks. The four games will begin Wednesday with semifinal 1 – Italy vs. Spain – at 2:30 p.m. ET, live from Milan’s Guiseppe Meazza Stadium in Italy. The second semifinal – Belgium vs. France – will be played Thursday at Turin’s Juventus Stadium at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Both matches will also stream on the ESPN App.
Ian Darke (play-by-play) and analyst Stewart Robson will call the semifinals on ESPN2, and the Final on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. Adrian Healey and Lori Lindsey will handle commentary for the third-place game on ESPNU, Sunday at 8:50 a.m.
The Finals will conclude the second installment of UEFA Nations League, which began in September 2020. The four remaining teams – Belgium (No. 1), France (4), Italy (5) and Spain (8) – are all in the top-eight of FIFA World Rankings for men’s soccer teams. Schedule:
*Subject to change
October 2021 FIFA International Match Week: More than 85 World Cup Qualifying Matches from Africa and Europe on ESPN+ and ESPN Networks
ESPN+, ESPN2 and ESPN3 will continue coverage of the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaigns in Africa and Europe with more than 75 matches beginning Wednesday, Oct. 6, through Wednesday, Oct. 13. In all, 17 of the matches will feature African and European national teams ranked in the top-25 of the current FIFA Men’s World Rankings (September 2021). Full Schedule.
CAF & UEFA World Cup Qualifying Schedule (Oct. 6– 13), Exclusively on ESPN+:
*Subject to change
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Media Contacts:
Mac Nwulu mac.nwulu@espn.com
Santa Brito santa.brito@espn.com
Kevin Ota kevin.r.ota@disney.com