Major League Soccer announced the national television schedule Wednesday for each of the 11 MLS Cup Playoff contests during the 2004 postseason. Each of the league's five national broadcast partners - ABC, ESPN2, Fox Sports World, Fox Sports en Español and high-definition outlet HDNet - and the League's official web site, www.MLSnet.com, will all carry the action from the MLS Cup Playoffs.
HDNet and Fox Sports World will kick off the national television schedule of the 2004 MLS Cup Playoffs on Friday night, Oct. 22, when the Los Angeles Galaxy visits the Colorado Rapids live at 9:30 p.m. ET. Fox Sports World will also air Game 1 of both Eastern Conference Semifinal matchups on Saturday, Oct. 23 beginning with live coverage of the Giants Stadium matchup between D.C. United and the MetroStars followed by Game 1 between the Columbus Crew and the New England Revolution on tape delay at 9:30 p.m. ET (the Crew vs. Revolution match will air live on the MLS Direct Kick Package). The last Game 1 encounter of the MLS Cup Playoff Conference Semifinals will be broadcast by ESPN2 on Sunday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. ET from Spartan Stadium as the defending MLS Cup champion San Jose Earthquakes host the Kansas City Wizards.
Game 2 of each of the Conference Semifinal series will also be broadcast via ESPN2, HDNet, Fox Sports World and the MLS Direct Kick Package. The single elimination Eastern and Western Conference Championships, to be played on Nov. 5 and/or Nov. 6, will air on HDNet and Fox Sports World.
In addition to the game action, Fox Sports World will continue with its coverage of the MLS Cup Playoffs throughout the postseason on MLS Wrap, the one-hour weekly highlight show on Saturday nights (1 a.m. ET on Sunday morning) featuring interviews and analysis of the matches hosted by Sean Wheelock, John Harkes and this week's special guest and MLSnet.com columnist Sigi Schmid. HDNet will also produce a special season-in-review show, "HDNet Presents: MLS Behind the Net," featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the 2004 season, including interviews with both players and coaches with hosts Glenn Davis and Marcelo Balboa.
MLS Cup will once again be televised live on ABC Sports at 3:30 p.m. ET, marking the ninth consecutive season the championship game will be broadcast on network television.
Dates, times and carriers for MLS' ninth postseason campaign are as follows:
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS - Game One -- Date -- Time(ET) -- TV
Galaxy at Rapids -- Fri., Oct. 22 -- 9:30 p.m. -- FSW, HDNet, MLS Direct Kick
United at MetroStars -- Sat., Oct. 23 -- 7:30 p.m. -- FSW, MLS Direct Kick
Crew at Revolution -- Sat., Oct. 23 -- 7:30 p.m. -- FSW (TD - 9:30 p.m.), MLS Direct Kick
Wizards at Earthquakes -- Sun., Oct. 24 -- 5 p.m. -- ESPN2
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS - Game Two -- Date -- Time(ET) -- TV
MetroStars at United -- Sat., Oct. 30 -- 7 p.m. -- HDNet, FSW, MLS Direct Kick
Earthquakes at Wizards -- Sat., Oct. 30 -- 8:30 p.m. -- MLS Direct Kick
Rapids at Galaxy -- Sat., Oct. 30 -- 10 p.m. -- FSW, MLS Direct Kick
Revolution at Crew -- Sun., Oct. 31 -- 5 p.m. -- ESPN2
(+30-minute golden-goal period followed by penalty kicks, if tied on aggregate goals)
EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIOS* -- TV
D.C./MetroStars at Columbus -- Sat., Nov. 6 -- 7:30 p.m. -- HDNet/FSW, MLS Direct Kick
New England at MetroStars -- Sat., Nov. 6 -- 7:30 p.m. -- HDNet/FSW, MLS Direct Kick
New England at D.C. -- Sat., Nov. 6 -- 7 p.m. -- HDNet/FSW, MLS Direct Kick
WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIOS* -- TV
Colorado/L.A. @ K.C. -- Fri., Nov.5 -- 8:30 p.m. -- HDNet/FSW, MLS Direct Kick
San Jose at Colorado -- Fri., Nov.5 -- 9:30 p.m. -- HDNet/FSW, MLS Direct Kick
San Jose at L.A. -- Sat., Nov.6 -- 10 p.m. -- HDNet/FSW, MLS Direct Kick
MLS CUP 2004* - SUN., NOV. 14 - ABC - 3:30 PM ET - THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, CARSON, Calif.
*(+30-minute golden-goal period followed by penalty kicks, if tied at the end of regulation)
NOTE: Select Fox Sports World telecasts can also be seen on Fox Sports en Español ... ABC and ESPN2 shows NOT available on the MLS Direct Kick Package or online at MLSnet.com.
