MLS Cup 2013 date, time and TV channel: Sporting KC hosts the MLS Cup 2013 championship game against Real Salt Lake at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 4pm ET. ESPN has multi-platform coverage of the game as well as news, analysis, highlights and more.
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ALSO SEE: 2014 FIFA World Cup final draw live on ESPN2
Complete press release with additional programming details from ESPN:
ESPN’s Presentation of MLS Cup 2013
Sporting KC hosts Real Salt Lake in Kansas City on Saturday
ESPN’s 18th season of televising Major League Soccer will conclude with the live presentation of MLS Cup 2013 on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. ET, when Sporting KC hosts Real Salt Lake at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. Commentator Adrian Healey, analyst Taylor Twellman and reporter Mónica Gónzalez will call the action with host Max Bretos, Alexi Lalas, Kasey Keller and Alejandro Moreno providing studio coverage from site. Additionally, the match will be available on WatchESPN and ESPN Deportes Radio.
On Friday, Dec. 6, ESPN will provide live reports on editions of SportsCenter and ESPN FC and feature analysis from Twellman, Lalas and Keller, who will be pulling double-duty with MLS Cup and the FIFA World Cup Draw show (airing at 11:30 a.m.).
MLS Cup will feature players in contention for FIFA World Cup spots including Sporting KC’s Matt Besler and Graham Zusi and Real Salt Lake’s Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando. The two teams have made a combined five MLS Cup appearances (SKC 3, RSL 2), with Real Salt Lake having won its first – and only — title in 2009. Each club boasts finalists for MLS’ end-of-year awards including: Besler (defender), Rimando (goalkeeper) and Jason Kreis (Real Salt Lake, coach).
MLS Cup 2013 TV highlights:
- On-site studio set with Bretos, Lalas, Keller and Moreno;
- A Don Garber conversation – MLS commissioner Don Garber will be interviewed on the ESPN set at halftime;
- 12 commentators – In all, ESPN will have 12 commentators at MLS Cup: Bretos, Gonzalez, Healey, Keller, Lalas, Moreno and Twellman (English); and Kenneth Garay, Elmer Polanco, Diego Cora, Richard Mendez and Giovanni Savarese (Spanish) .
ESPN Deportes Radio
ESPN Deportes Radio will provide live coverage of MLS Cup 2013 on Saturday, Dec. 7, beginning at 3 p.m. ET with a one-hour pre-match program, followed by the game at 4 p.m. Soccer experts Kenneth Garay (play-by-play) and Elmer Polanco (analysis) will call the match from Sporting Park. Diego Cora will report pitch-side.
ESPN FC
- Wednesday, Dec. 4 (5:30 p.m., ESPN2) — Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy, USMNT) will be in the Bristol studios to discuss MLS Cup and the USMNT, and Alexi Lalas will be on set;
- Thursday, Dec. 5 (5:30 p.m., ESPN2) – The MLS MVP will be announced; Lalas on set, and Taylor Twellman joins from Kansas City;
- Friday, Dec. 6 (5:30 p.m, ESPN2) — Twellman and Keller join from Kansas City to discuss the FIFA World Cup Draw and MLS Cup.
SportsCenter
Beginning Friday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m., through kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 1, all editions of ESPN’s flagship news program SportsCenter (ESPN and ESPNEWS) will feature MLS Cup 2013 segments including reports and analysis from Kansas City.
ESPNFC.com
- Jeff Carlisle will report from Kansas City on Wednesday, Dec. 4, through game day. His work will include an interview with MLS commissioner Don Garber, player-focused pieces and a preview of the match;
- Week-long ‘State of MLS’ analysis, taking deep dives each day into issues of: expansion, designated players, league format / schedule;
- Boot Room chat during match;
- Boot Room Extra post-match show exclusive for ESPNFC.com;
- Clips from ESPN FC.
ESPN International
ESPN International will televise MLS Cup 2013 on ESPN networks in 59 countries and territories covering more than 22 million television homes, including coverage in Australia, Brazil, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, New Zealand and South America.
Richard Mendez and Giovanni Savarese will call the game for ESPN International networks in Spanish.