The 2023 Major League Soccer season is just around the corner, but the American MLS Apple commentary teams are still undecided. So, I tried to find out who are my recommended MLS advertisers for Apple TV.
As noted, the Apple TV deal starts right away when the new season begins on February 25. However, question marks still surround the talent behind the microphone calling out the games on the new service. With 29 teams, there are approximately 14 games per game day. Only a few go to FOX, the only place left to watch MLS on TV. All MLS games come from Apple, and a number of American commentators have a hat in the mix.
World Soccer Talk founder Christopher Harris has previously shared the advertisers he thinks MLS will choose. On the other hand, I think those who have covered MLS matches for their regional broadcast networks should be selected first. They provide the familiar knowledge that MLS fans have come to know and love over the years.
Here are my choices:
My List of Recommended MLS Advertisers for Apple TV
JP Dellacamera
Dellacera is one of the most respected voices in the game, both locally and nationally. Its expertise and experience go back decades.
He called indoor football, the MetroStars (then the name changed to the New York Red Bulls) and the Philadelphia Union. After that, he became the main play-by-play manager for ESPN and FOX Soccer Channel on MLS Broadcasts. He has also covered men’s and women’s soccer matches at several Olympic Games. For USMNT World Cup Qualifiers, he served as the spokesperson for a number of qualifying processes. He also sat behind the microphone for CONCACAF and UEFA Champions League matches.
One of his most famous calls still dates back to 1999. Back then, he also called Brandi Chastain’s historic penalty kick. The United States beat China to win the 1999 Women’s World Cup on home soil.
Dellacamera won the Colin Jose Media Award. In 2018, the Soccer Hall of Fame inducted him for his decades of work in the broadcast booth.
David Johnson
Dave Johnson is the longtime TV voice of DC United. For more than 25 years, hisIT’S ON THE WEB“The goal call has become famous. He had witnessed many championships from the early years: four MLS Cup championships; several US Open Cup titles and so on.
His love and passion for the game is just as strong as ours. During the offseason, he is the play-by-play radio voice for the NBA’s Washington Wizards and works for NBC Washington DC affiliate WRC-TV.
Glenn Davis
I remember him broadcasting football during the 1997 US Open Cup Final in Indianapolis as defending champions DC United took on FC Dallas (then known as Dallas Burn). He started much earlier than that when he covered the Houston Hotshots from indoor play.
Now his resume is full of calling games for the Houston Dynamo, his local football matters show, and has staged numerous Gold Cup and CONCACAF Champions League matches, as well as the Olympic Games for both men and women. He also covered MLS games and several World Cup matches on ESPN and FOX along with NBC’s Olympic football coverage. He is also a part of ESPN’s college football shows.
Steve Cangelosi
Since covering the New York Red Bulls, I’ve watched Steve become one of the top football broadcasters, not just in New York, but nationally. He was the sideline reporter before taking over the broadcast booth when JP Dellacera took over the MLS job on ESPN. He joined Shep Messing permanently for more than two decades, then worked with FOX on CONCACAF Gold Cup coverage, ESPN on European football broadcasts and the second team announcement on MLS matches. .
Brad Feldman
He first called the New England Revolution games on radio in 2001 before moving to the TV side as a sideline reporter, then an analyst with Adrian Healey, then took over the TV booth full time with various sports networks regional ones such as FOX Sports New England, NBC Sports Boston, and then local TV stations. The Hanover, New Hampshire native has long been a football staple in the Boston area.
Eric Krakauer
I’ve known Eric for a few years since he covered the New York Red Bulls during the Jesse Marsch days. He moved to South Florida to start his professional broadcasting career with beIN SPORTS. In 2022 it was his first and only season calling Charlotte FC games with Lloyd Sam. While I admit I have a soft spot for Eric he would do a fantastic job calling MLS games for the league and AppleTV.
Christian Miles
He was part of FOX Soccer Channel’s days as a studio host for the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League and MLS, and called several LA Galaxy games on the radio when Joe Tutino was on TV for the Galaxy games. He currently calls plays for the Pacific 12 Conference college sports games and also had a spell calling the Portland Timbers games on Root Sports.
Max Bretos
You know you’ll never miss a goal when Max Bretos throws “YYYEEESSS!” He also started calling games on FOX Soccer Channel, locally for the LA Galaxy. He moved to ESPN as host for ESPN FC to give Dan Thomas a break and also called games on ESPN. Recently, he became the play-by-play television man for LAFC and worked with a record nine to ten different analysts.
Its videocast and its audio podcast, Le Football AND, gives his opinion on the games of the world. He is also the English language commentator during CONMEBOL’s Copa Libertadores and MMA matches on Combate Global.
Antoine Passarelli
For the past few seasons, Anthony has served as the primary TV showrunner for San Jose Earthquakes on NBC Sports Bay Area/California along with Chris Dangerfield and Danielle Slaton. Of course, he continued on the famous goal call for Earthquakes “GOAL! SAN JOSE! He also calls varsity sporting events in the offseason, but his upbeat tone to me will show everyone he deserves a shot at earning a spot for that job.
Marc Followill
Mark is a lover of the game. He is a Soccer Hall of Fame MC. He is also the broadcaster for FC Dallas games in Frisco, Texas. There he worked with Dallas football writer Steve Davis. Every game, he shows his energy and passion by calling the home team for one of the greatest cities in all of Texas. Additionally, he called MLS games on FOX Sports with the Copa America Centenario.
He is currently the play-by-play voice of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.
Tom Scholar
The first time I heard Tom call a game was in the 2017 US Open Cup semi-finals when FC Cincinnati hosted the New York Red Bulls. His tone and energy worked very well with his analyst Kevin McCloskey during the club’s USL days (they later moved to MLS). Tom stayed with the club at their new TQL stadium.
Jake Sivin
For the past few seasons, Jake has been the play-by-play voice of the Portland Timbers, and he’s occasionally called MLS games for FOX Sports. But his energy during games has been solid. He might go further if selected by MLS.
If MLS chose international voices who have done a great job covering the league, I would pick English commentators Callum Williams, Tony Husband, Richard Fleming and Irish-American Keith Costigan who is on FOX Sports.
But until we get official word, these are my picks for US broadcasters for the new MLS contract on Apple TV to start the 2023 season. What you say?
Crédit photo : IMAGO / Icon Sportswire