Analyst Alexi Lalas will team with play-by-player John Strong to lead Fox Sport's 1 Major League Soccer coverage. They will be joined by Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl as sideline reporter.
The trio makes its network MLS debut with the nightcap of FSI's season-opening doubleheader on Sunday, March 8 at 9:30 p.m., when the Seattle Sounders FC hosts the defending Eastern Conference Champion New England Revolution at CenturyLink Field.
In the opener of the doubleheader, the first of three twinbills slated on FS1 during the network’s inaugural MLS season, Sporting KC faces the New York Red Bulls at Sporting Park in Kansas City at 7 p.m. Calling the action is veteran soccer announcer JP Dellacamera alongside match analyst and current Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who makes his network television booth debut, while Julie Stewart-Binks joins on the sidelines. Friedel is expected to become a regular member of FS1’s MLS game coverage once his season with Spurs ends later this year.
Both Strong and Lalas have covered MLS extensively on television with different networks. Lalas was also pioneering as a player and general manager for several teams within the league. The Strong - Lalas - Wahl trio will call most of FS1's Sunday primetime matches.
Rob Stone hosts FS1’s season-opening pregame, halftime and postgame coverage live from the Fox Network Center in Los Angeles with National Soccer Hall of Famer Eric Wynalda, who scored MLS’ first-ever goal 20 years ago, former USMNT midfielder Stuart Holden and guest analyst and U.S. Soccer legend Landon Donovan, who just recently ended his stellar playing career by lifting the MLS Cup with the LA Galaxy.
All MLS games televised by FS1 (33) and Fox Sports 2 (one) will be simulcast on Spanish-languageFox Deportes, and streamed on Fox Sports Go in Spanish. Fox Deportes’ lead broadcast team features a three-man booth with play-by-play announcer John Laguna and analysis from Mariano Trujillo and Claudio Suarez, both former MLS players.
