Talking to Julie Foudy is always a treat.
She is funny, charming, while at the same time knowledgeable and passionate about soccer.
A former member of the United States’ winning women’s World Cup team, Foudy is now focused on the men’s game and the goings on in Germany. She appears at home during ESPN’s studio coverage alongside hosts Rece Davis and Dave Revsine and fellow color analysts Eric Wynalda and Alexi Lalas.
Wynalda, Lalas and Foudy have been candid, insightful and fun.
They have logged long hours watchingthree games a day and commenting as one ends and another begins. After watching the matches and doing halftime inserts, they do a comprehensive post game show making for a long day.
Here are some of Foudy’s first-weeks observations.
On being a studio host: “We all really enjoy watching the games and then giving the viewers our instant feedback. We also like to goof around a bit as well, make it fun. This is a great event with lots of wonderful storylines but we must keep it fun and interesting for the fans and I think thus far we had been able to do that.”
On the return of a Women’s Soccer League: “I know that in D.C. things were great and it is a super soccer city. As for the return of the women’s league, it is really not a matter of if, it is a matter of when. We have the Olympics coming up, then the women’s World Cup. So I feel that we need the MLS to do what the NBA did with the WNBA and that is have women’s teams in the cities like Washington where there is success. Also, with more soccer-only stadiums being built that will also help. How about say 2008 or 2009 for the return? As I said it is not if but when.”
You can catch Foudy on ESPN/ABC World Cup coverage all the way to the championship game in July.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.
