World Soccer Talk: USA-Mexico World Cup Qualifier to be shown on ESPN2 and ESPN+

Wednesday, 6 October 2021

USA-Mexico World Cup Qualifier to be shown on ESPN2 and ESPN+

ESPN has announced its upcoming coverage of U.S. World Cup Qualifiers, which will include USA and Mexico being televised live on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

For soccer fans in the United States, nothing is bigger than USA against Mexico. So for the game to only be featured on ESPN2 due to other programming commitments is a tough blow. Having said that, having the game available via the very accessible ESPN+ is a saving grace – especially for cord cutters.

ESPN2 and ESPN+ will combine to present the U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup qualifying match against Jamaica on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m. ET, live from the new Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. Thursday’s match is the first of three straight pivotal World Cup-qualifying matches for the USMNT on ESPN2. The three matches will also be simulcast live on ESPN+, marking the first USMNT games on ESPN+, the industry-leading sports streaming service.

Commentators

Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman will provide match commentary while global sports correspondent Sam Borden – following his month-long EURO 2020 assignment this summer – makes his reporter debut covering the USMNT. Former U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Jermaine Jones will also make his ESPN television debut as a studio analyst, alongside Kasey Keller and host Sebastian Salazar, for pregame, halftime and postgame segments. Studio coverage for the next two USMNT home World Cup qualifying matches will originate from site – Oct. 7 (Austin) and Oct. 13 (Columbus, Ohio).

READ MORE: How to watch soccer via ESPN+

Countdown Live: USA-Jamaica Pregame Special (Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET)

Countdown Live – the digital live soccer pregame series available on ESPN Social platforms – will preview its first U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup qualifying match on Thursday, with host Sebastian Salazar and analysts Kasey Keller and Jermaine Jones. Countdown Live: USA-Jamaica Pregame Special from Q2 Stadium is the first of four pregame shows leading into upcoming World Cup qualifying matches on ESPN platforms. The shows are available on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and the ESPN App. The ESPN Countdown Live soccer pregame series features matchup previews from ESPN analysts, player interviews, up-to-the-minute team news, special guests and more. Previous editions have included live shows from the 2019 FA Cup Final in Wembley Stadium; 2019 MLS Cup in Seattle; several El Trafico – LAFC vs. LA Galaxy – matches; and other marquee MLS rivalry contests.