Sports stats



MLS Major League Soccer

ABC Sports Presents MLS Cup 2002

October 16, 2002 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK (Wednesday, October 16, 2002) - MLS Cup 2002, broadcast live on Sunday, October 20 by ABC Sports (1:30 p.m. ET), pits the hometown New England Revolution against MLS powerhouse Los Angeles Galaxy at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro as the teams vie for the League's seventh title.

Calling the game action are television soccer veterans JP Dellacamera, who will handle play-by-play duties for his first MLS Cup, and analyst Ty Keough, the lead color commentator during each of the League's seven seasons on the ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 family of networks. Hosts for the pre-game and halftime segments are longtime ABC personality Terry Gannon, who hosted ABC's coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2002 Korea/Japan, and American soccer icon Eric Wynalda, who scored the first goal in MLS history on April 6, 1996.

Working the Revolution and Galaxy sidelines during MLS Cup 2002 are Rob Stone, an MLS television mainstay since 1998, and Veronica Paysse, completing her debut season covering MLS and World Cup action for ABC/ESPN. The duo will be armed with wireless microphones and will enjoy full access to team benches for interviews and game reaction with coaches, players and other celebrities throughout the broadcast.

In addition, MLS will provide Spanish language SAP (Supplemental Audio Programming) for the ABC Sports broadcast of MLS Cup 2002, with Ernesto Motta serving as the Play-by-Play announcer and Andres Rodriguez filling the role of color analyst.

Motta, a native of Argentina, is the "Official Spanish Voice of the MetroStars", serving as the Play-by-Play announcer during the season-long broadcast of MetroStars matches on Radio WADO 1280 AM in New York City. Additionally, Motta is the host of "Solo Fútbol", a program featuring MLS and international soccer news also broadcast on Radio WADO. Rodriguez is a Senior Copy Editor with ESPNdeportes.com covering wide range of sports including MLS and U.S. soccer. The former editor of El Mundo, New England's top Spanish weekly publication, also had stints as on-air talent for SportsCenter on ESPN International and color analyst for ESPN International calling soccer matches and other sporting events.

MLS' seventh MLS Cup Championship Game features the Los Angeles Galaxy, making its record fourth appearance in the title game but going home a bridesmaid on each previous occasion - MLS Cup '96, MLS Cup '99 and in MLS Cup 2001. During the last two years, the Galaxy have qualified for the finals in the five competitions in which the club has participated, including two MLS Cups (2001-02), two U.S. Open Cups (2001-02), and one F.C. (CONCACAF) Champions Cup (2001). Los Angeles' first two Cup losses both occurred at Foxboro, but the winners of the 2002 MLS Supporter's Shield - given to the team with the best regular-season record - are hopeful that the state-of-the-art Gillette Stadium - a.k.a. "The Big Razor" - brings a change of luck.

For the host Revolution, who were mired at the bottom of the League's cellar on August 13 before making a truly incredible run to the Eastern Conference title and the No. 2 overall seed in the MLS Cup Playoffs, a unique opportunity exists. Not only does New England have the chance to go from worst-to-first after finishing out of the postseason in 2001, but the Revolution could become the second team to capture the Cup at home, following in D.C. United's 1997 footsteps. Sunday's final will also mark the third consecutive year that a team which failed to make the postseason in the previous year has advanced to the Cup. The Kansas City Wizards (2000) and San Jose Earthquakes (2001) both marched to MLS Cup championship appearances and came away with the titles after missing the playoffs in the previous season.

MLS CUP 2002 TELEVISION OVERVIEW

Talent

* JP Dellacamera - Play-by-play (MLS Cup debut) -- Prominent soccer voice JP Dellacamera comes makes his MLS Cup debut following his second season in the MetroStars television booth, bringing significant experience working soccer, basketball, and hockey telecasts over a well-respected career that spans 27 years. JP called his fifth consecutive men's World Cup this past summer for ESPN, in addition to his duties with the MetroStars on MSG. JP has a storied soccer history with the ABC/ESPN networks, calling MLS games in addition to the UEFA Champions League, EURO '96, Italian Serie A and the last two Women's World Cups. In addition, he worked for three seasons as the TV voice of the Columbus Crew.

*

* Ty Keough - Analyst (7th MLS Cup) - Ty Keough, lead analyst for MLS, the 2002 FIFA World Cup and U.S. National Team soccer has handled the analyst duties for every MLS Cup and All-Star Game in League history on ABC/ESPN. Keough's career highlights have included working the 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He was also the men's head coach at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., for 10 seasons. In addition, the former NASL and MISL star was the co-captain of the U.S. National Team from 1977-80, which included his selection to the 1980 U.S. Olympic squad. * * Rob Stone - Sideline reporter (5th MLS Cup) - The former studio host of MLS ExtraTime, Stone will be working his fifth MLS Cup. He has been part of ABC/ESPN's soccer coverage since 1998, served as the host of World Cup Tonight during Korea/Japan after a stint as the network's lead reporter at World Cup France '98. In addition, Stone handles play-by-play on many nationally-televised MLS broadcasts. A native of Simsbury, Connecticut, Stone played collegiate soccer at Colgate University, where he was captain, all-conference and team MVP during his senior year.

*

* Veronica Paysse - Sideline reporter (MLS Cup debut) - The former Univision personality will make her MLS Cup debut after spending the 2002 MLS season covering the sideline and behind-the-scenes action for the League's ABC and ESPN2 broadcasts. The recipient of significant acclaim for her features work during the FIFA World Cup 2002 Korea/Japan, Paysse is a former Miss Hispanidad 1998 and Miss Florida USA 2000 runner-up who was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and moved to Miami when she was nine years old.

*

* Terry Gannon - Host (MLS Cup debut) - Terry Gannon, a veteran broadcaster for the past 14 years, joined ABC Sports in 1991 and most recently served as the studio host for ABC's coverage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He handles play-by-play for college basketball and the network's coverage of college football, a position he's held since 1993, which has included three post-season bowl games. Gannon is also an announcer on ABC's golf coverage of the PGA TOUR and the Senior PGA Tour. His work on "ABC's Wide World of Sports" has taken Gannon around the globe to cover downhill skiing, ski jumping, supercross motorcycle racing, pro beach volleyball, mountain biking, the Special Olympics, the Goodwill Games and the Tournament of Roses Parade.

*

* Eric Wynalda - Host (MLS Cup debut) - Eric Wynalda is a veteran of three World Cups ('90, '94, '98), the 32-year-old striker holds the all-time scoring record in U.S. National Team history with 34 goals in 106 appearances. The Honda/Futbol de Primera Player of the Decade, Wynalda was the youngest player to ever appear for the U.S. in the World Cup when he took the field in Italy in 1990, at the age of 21. With an international club career which saw him play professionally in the German Bundesliga and in Mexico, Wynalda returned to the U.S. and joined the San Jose Clash in MLS' inaugural season. He made history by scoring the first MLS goal in the inaugural game on April 6, 1996. He would go on to play for the Miami Fusion, New England Revolution and Chicago Fire, scoring 34 goals and registering 37 assists in 98 career games.

*

* Cameras

* 18 total

* 3 cameras equipped with 70x long lenses

* Includes 2 super slo-mo cameras feeding 2 EVS LSM digital recorders for quick queuing and sequential play storage

* 1 24 ft. Jib camera * 1 "Starcam" for player isolation

Replay Machines

* 11 total * Includes the above 2 super slo-mo EVS LSM digital machines

* 2 additional 4-channel EVS LSM digital machines

*

* Sound

* Numerous fx microphones around the field of play and goal areas

* 4 parabolic mics will be on the field and dispersed throughout the stadium

* 2 wireless mics for sideline reporters Paysse and Stone

*

* Talent Behind the Scenes

* Michael Cohen - Executive producer (7th MLS Cup) ... Emmy award winning producer.

* Mitch Green - Producer (1st MLS Cup) ... Emmy award-winning producer

* Doug Wren - Director (6th MLS Cup) ... Emmy award winning director.

* Pete Finarelli - Unit Manager (7th MLS Cup) ... oversees a production/tech crew consisting of more than 70 people

* Winner Communications - MLS' production company (7th year with MLS)

Check out the Major League Soccer Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Major League Soccer message board...

Major League Soccer Stories from October 16, 2002


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central