ESPN Scores in US National Team's First FIFA Final

Some criticize JP for not being excited enough during the first US goal. That is because he knows soccer.

He was excited, but only to a certain point. He has to convey to fans what he knows: there is a ton of time left for Brazil to score and still win, which they did.

John Harkes is the one weaker aspects to ESPN’s coverage of this monumental match in US soccer history. He just speaks too much and pauses too often.

Because of his pauses, his commentary is often just a string of words, at times confusing the listener. Harkes knows his stuff, but has not figured out how to convey that on television.

Harkes' best analysis comes when JP prods him with a question like he did at the end of the first half on Feilhaber’s play, and after Brazil’s first goal on the quickness of Fabiano’s strike.

Harkes was the first to say how the quick 2-1 score line would affect US's chances moving forward in the match, something coach Bob Bradley and Landon Donavon echoed in post match interviews.

Every so often, Harkes does make great points on his own as he accurately described the difference in the US defense between the first and second half: the defense being pulled farther apart.

He said it before the second goal, which was the ultimate cause of the equalizer.

This pairing is leaps and bounds better than O’Brien and the bumbling Marcelo Balboa.

The technical side of the broadcast cannot be fully critiqued because ESPN was just taking the world feed. But, the producers back in Bristol did pump the crowd noise up more than it was on the Spanish channels here in the US.

It helped the fans feel more intimate with the action and was more accurate to what it sounded like on the pitch.

ESPN also understood how important this game was.

They have remained dedicated to soccer, and this was the lead on the bottom lead as well as the lead on “Sports Center”. The biggest sports station in the country put this first on a Sunday where interleague play ended, the two New York teams played, the two Chicago teams played, and the aftermath of the NBA draft played out.

ESPN made a statement, and an important one to US soccer moving forward.

The US might have failed, but ESPN prevailed in their coverage of this historic match.

-MN

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