USA-China will be streamed live

Jeff Kassouf May 26, 2012 5

After insisting there would not be any TV broadcast or live webcast for the U.S. women’s national team’s game against China on Sunday, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced on Saturday afternoon that the game will be broadcast exclusively on ussoccer.com.

The match kicks kicks-off at 7 p.m. at PPL Park in Chester, Penn. Longtime soccer voice Mark Rogondino will call the game. He was at Saturday’s open training session at PPL Park.

The news comes following significant griping from the soccer community that the game would not be available for viewing, with many citing the fact that Saturday’s U.S. men’s friendly against Scotland would be broadcast on NBC Sports Network (8 p.m., EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.).

So, U.S. Soccer’s last-minute decision to stream the game will bring delight to many fans throughout the country, although this really feels like we were all duped a bit. The same thing happened for the Feb. 11 friendly against New Zealand.

That match was not scheduled to be webcast or broadcast on TV, but on the verge of selling-out (20,677), U.S. Soccer announced it would webcast the game. The Federation just announced on Thursday that Sunday’s game had sold out. How many people bought tickets because there was not supposed to be any other way to watch the game? Just food for thought, but after you digest it, go ahead and enjoy the match.

  • NYCEIght

    Streaming is not TV and TV is how you get people hooked to watch when they wouldn’t otherwise. Only hardcore USWNT fans will tune in for the stream. The Olympics are only every four years and they should be using these two friendly to get people pumped. The men have two televised game this week; the contrast is frustrating, because its about respecting one of the best teams in the world. But I guess that’s being a WoSo fan – an exercise in frustration.

  • MT

    Agreed Jeff, the whole thing certainly has an odor of manipulation. The laundry list of excuses why games can’t be broadcast, combined with this track record of last minute “decisions” to livestream, smells pretty bad. Fans are intelligent, why not just be honest? And, knowing the dedication of the growing USWNT fan base, these stadiums would have near or total sellouts regardless of any broadcast.

  • shaun

    for woman rooting usa, but for men go scotland, my grandfathers team, only mens soccer team stand to watch. i hate usa mens team but love girls

  • Pingback: NASR TODAY – May 26, 2012 | NASR

  • Matt

    This is like scheduling a ball state game over the Alabama crimson tide. When your № 1 in the world. You should be on TV!!