Mexico vs. Costa Rica, USA vs. Panama CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches June 11: In an ESPN soccer doubleheader, Mexico faces Costa Rica at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, followed by USA vs. Panama at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Press release with more details from ESPN below:
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ESPN to Present Key United States and Mexico 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Matches
Mexico vs. Costa Rica and USA vs. Panama Doubleheader on June 11
ESPN multimedia platforms will continue comprehensive coverage of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying contests featuring the U.S. Men’s National Team and the Mexican National Team (El Tri) beginning Friday, June 7, and culminating on Tuesday, June 11, with a doubleheader on ESPN – Mexico vs. Costa Rica at 8 p.m. ET and USA vs. Panama at 10 p.m.
Tuesday’s doubleheader will be preceded by a half-hour preview show at 7:30 p.m. with host Bob Ley and analysts Kasey Keller, Alexi Lalas and ESPN Deportes’ Jorge Ramos, live from CenturyLink Field in Seattle, site of the USA-Panama match. Ian Darke and Taylor Twellman will call the match with reporter Mónica González.
El Tri on ESPN commentators Fernando Palomo, Alejandro Moreno and reporter John Sutcliffe will handle the Mexico-Costa Rica match from Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium. Highlights:
SportsCenter and Other Additional Coverage:
ESPN news and information programs will provide daily reports, interviews, previews, post-game analysis, and more, beginning Friday, June 7, through the completion of the USA-Panama match on Tuesday, June 11. SportsCenter segments previewing the matches will include reporting by Bob Holtzman, who is with the U.S. Men’s National Team in Jamaica, and ESPN’s Mexican National Team reporter Sutcliffe, who is with “El Tri” in Panama and will be with the team through the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil (June 15-30).
- Friday, June 7: Twellman will be in studio to preview Jamaica vs. USA on daytime and evening editions of SportsCenter. The ESPN match analyst will also provide post-game analysis on the late editions of the flagship program. Holtzman’s reports from Jamaica will be featured as well;
- Monday, June 10: Ley, Lalas, Keller and Ramos will preview the two qualifying matches on Tuesday from Seattle with additional reporting by Sutcliffe in Mexico City, on the Mexican National Team, and González in Seattle, with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Tuesday, June 11
Mexico vs. Costa Rica (ESPN at 8 p.m.)
Mexico, which has qualified for the last five FIFA World Cups, is coming off its first win in four matches in the Hexagonal (final round) of the 2014 FIFA World Cup contests for the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). The match will be played at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
- Commentators: Palomo, Moreno and reporter Sutcliffe;
- Studio team: Host Ley, analysts Keller, Lalas and Ramos (from Seattle), including halftime segment;
- SportsCenter will preview the match throughout the day and post-game segments will air on the overnight SportsCenter at 1 a.m. ET (10 p.m. PT);
USA vs. Panama (ESPN, 10 p.m.)
This will be the U.S. team’s fifth of 10 home-and-away matches in the final round (Hexagonal) of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification process within CONCACAF;
- Commentators: Darke, Twellman and reporters González;
- Studio: Ley, Keller, Lalas and Ramos in Seattle;
- All-day coverage on SportsCenter beginning with live talkback segments – Lalas (2 p.m.) and Twellman (3 p.m.) – as well as match previews and post-game segments;
- Live ESPNFC Boot Room post-game show on ESPNFC.