FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

NBC SPORTS GROUP’S MLS COVERAGE CONTINUES FRIDAY WITH HOUSTON DYNAMO AT SEATTLE SOUNDERS

NBC Sports Network Coverage Starts at 10 p.m. ET “If you are new to MLS, the scene at CenturyLink Field on Friday will blow your mind.” – Arlo White

NEW YORK –March 21, 2012 –The NBC Sports Group’s MLS season coverage continues Friday at 10 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network when the Seattle Sounders host the Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo have opened the season with two straight wins, while the Sounders scored a 3-1 victory on Saturday against Toronto FC in their MLS season opener, with forward David Estrada scoring the club’s third hat trick in its history.

COMMENTATORS: The team of Arlo White (@arlowhite, play-by-play), and Kyle Martino (@kylemartino, “Between the Benches” analyst) will call the game from CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. NBC SportsTalk host Russ Thaler (@RussThaler) will host the pre-game, halftime and post-game segments live from the game site, with White and Martino.

White and Martino have received praise for their work this season.  Soccer America said White is “one of the best MLS commentators around” and called Martino, “NBC’s insider analyst, not simply a guy with a mike.” Additionally, The Tampa Times said NBC Sports Network’s coverage, “looked great and sounded even better with Kyle Martino between the benches, just like you might see on NBC’s hockey coverage.”

WHITE AND MARTINO BREAK DOWN THE MATCHUP:

 

WHITE: “If you are new to MLS, the scene at CenturyLink Field on Friday will blow your mind. 38,000 fanatics create a wall of noise and a sea of ‘rave’ green.  Striker David Estrada is their new hero after scoring a hat-trick last week and with Fredy Montero, Mauro Rosales and Alvaro Fernandez marauding forward, they are built to score goals. Houston was beaten by the LA Galaxy in last year’s MLS Cup and I think Brad Davis could open a can of baked beans with that wonderful left foot of his.”

 

MARTINO: “Opening up a season with a long string of road games is the toughest challenge MLS has to offer. Like many MLS teams before them, Houston is now facing that very situation with seven consecutive away games before they return home to open up at BBVA Compass Stadium. They are already off to a better start than most with two wins in a row against teams from the stacked Western Conference. However, this weekend their resolve will be put to the test when they face a very talented Seattle squad who are playing angry after being dropkicked out of CONCACAF Champions League.”

 

UPCOMING MLS GAMES ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK: (All Times ET, Home Team Listed First)

Fri. Mar. 30, D.C United vs. FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Mar. 31, LA Galaxy vs. New England Revolution, 11 p.m.

Sat. April 14, Philadelphia Union vs. Columbus Crew, 3:30 p.m.

 

For the full NBC Sports Group 2012 MLS Schedule visit www.NBCSports.com.

 

ProSoccerTalk on NBCSports.com: Steve Davis (@SteveDavis90), a respected soccer journalist for more than two decades, is the featured writer for ProSoccerTalk on NBCSports.com.  Davis, who has covered Major League Soccer, since its inception in 1996 contributes regular posts and will provide video reports to NBCSports.com, and is expected to be an occasional guest on NBC SportsTalk, the daily hour-long news and information show the new NBC Sports Network.

 

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Last August, Major League Soccer (MLS) and the NBC Sports Group announced a three-year media rights agreement that calls for 46 MLS games and four U.S. National Team contests to be televised live across both NBC and NBC Sports Network each season. This agreement was the first rights deal for the new NBC Sports Network. All telecasts on NBC and NBC Sports Network will consist of pre-game and post-game coverage.