Ian Darke and Julie Foudy will be calling the Women’s World Cup final between the U.S. and Japan from Frankfurt, Germany at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday. This summer, the duo has traveled together with their production crew to every corner of the host country of Germany.
It’s a very interesting pairing. On one hand you have Darke, one of the most respected soccer broadcasters in the world. He has called the English Premier League, World Cup and UEFA Champions League games for the BBC, Sky Sports and now ESPN. He is known for his colorful up-tempo style. Foudy, one of the most decorated woman’s soccer players in U.S. history, has been a broadcaster since 2004 and is known for her candor. So this broadcast team has established themselves as a brilliant, entertaining and insightful team.
| WORLD CUP RATINGS |
| Through Wednesday (30 matches), Women’s World Cup 2011 is averaging a 0.6 U.S. rating on ESPN and ESPN2 — up 200 percent from 2007 (0.2) in China. Locally, the World Cup has been a big hit as most days either Washington or Baltimore is atop the ratings with D.C. being the only top-10 market to finish consistently in the top five. |
They both were glad to talk about the fun that they have had working together:
Darke on what has impressed him about his partner Foudy » Well, we have traveled together with our crew almost 3,000 miles throughout Germany, and I have had a chance to talk football with her. I can honestly say that her knowledge is impressive. Julie is one of the best analysts that I have ever worked with — man or woman. She loves the USA team but she is very objective and above all very honest and that is part of what makes her a very good analyst.
Foudy on working with Darke » He is a legend and has made working with very easy for me. He has those wonderful sayings like “Sweden’s team is like a cast of characters in search of a plot,” “Oh, can you believe this? Abby Wambach has saved the USA’s life in this World Cup!” I just love his passion for the game and his ability to craft just the right thing to say at just the right time.
Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!
