ABC will provide live coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Sunday, July 11, from Soccer City in Johannesburg. The one-hour pre-match show starts at 1:30 p.m. ET. Martin Tyler and Efan Ekoku will call the title match.I hope you all like John Harkes!
John Harkes and Ian Darke will work the 3rd place match between Uruguay and Germany on Saturday, July 10, in Port Elizabeth. The match will be broadcast on ABC with coverage starting at 2 p.m. In addition to ESPN’s roster of studio hosts and analysts, Harkes will join Bob Ley at Soccer City for pre-match, halftime and post-match analysis.
On a more serious note, hopefully this 3rd place game will not be the last time that we hear Ian Darke on ESPN and American television. Whether they bring him in to call MLS, the upcoming Euros, or a future World Cup, he needs to be heard in the States again. He has been the best announcer of this World Cup by miles (and to think this is in the same category as Martin Tyler), and has been a complete joy to listen to.
I'll have a more elaborate preview post up sometime before the match starts.
Darke has alsso had his moments of Nantzian catch phrase corniness i.e. "The All-Whites are All-Right!" "Go, Go USA!" among others. I've really liked Martin Tyler. He just reminds me so much of Pat Summerall.
ReplyDelete@ kt: The problem with Martin Tyler is he can't handle a dull game. Ian Darke has the ability to be witty and funny in the face of a clunker, whereas Martin Tyler just sounds bored to tears, and in turn, makes me want to make a really long blog post about the Phillies mid-way through the season.
ReplyDelete@JFein Fair point. I think we can all agree Efan Ekoku is no John Madden. Too bad Fox/Sky wouldn't let ESPN pick up Andy Gray to work with Tyler.
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