COLUMBUS – The Columbus Crew today announced it has renewed its partnership with La Mega 103.1 FM for Spanish radio broadcasts. La Mega is set to air the club’s full 34-match Major League Soccer schedule, beginning tomorrow, March 8, 2014 at D.C. United. Carlos Cordova provides the play-by-play of the action with former sideline analyst Juan Valladares serving as the network’s analyst in 2014.
2014 marks the fourth consecutive year of the partnership between the Crew and La Mega.
“We are pleased to welcome back La Mega 103.1 FM and specifically Carlos and Juan to our Spanish-language broadcast team in 2014,” said Mike Malo, the Crew’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Having La Mega 103.1 FM on-board for our matches for another year shows the station’s commitment to the Crew and its listeners and we look forward to providing quality broadcasts of the upcoming campaign, beginning tomorrow night.”
Cordova is in his sixth season with the Crew’s Spanish radio broadcast, joining the broadcast team in 2009. He served as a sideline reporter and later as color analyst before taking the play-by-play reins in 2010. Prior to joining the Crew broadcast, Cordova worked as a salesman on Hispanic radio stations in Columbus and participated as a guest host on a soccer radio show “Passion de Gol.” from 2006 to 2007. In 2008 he began hosting his own soccer TV show, “Passion de Futbol” on Azteca America in Columbus – a role he continues to hold. From 2007-2012, he also had his own radio show “Fiebre Futbolera.”
Valladares is in his fourth season on the Crew’s Spanish radio broadcast, having re-joined the Black & Gold team in 2013 after serving as a sideline analyst during the 2009 and 2010 campaigns. He worked in radio from 1994-1996, providing coverage of professional soccer before becoming a co-anchor on Channel 25 TV in Honduras from 1995-2002. He worked for Radio America Deortiva from 2002-2008. Valladares joined the Azteca America broadcast team to work on “Passion de Futbol” as co-anchor in 2009 and assisted in coverage of CONCACAF Gold Cup coverage in 2009 and 2010 and FIFA World Cup Qualifiers nationwide from 2010-2013.
2014 is the Crew’s 16th season at first-of-its-kind Crew Stadium, the first topflight soccer-specific facility built in the United States. Following this weekend’s season-opener at D.C. United and a second week bye, the home schedule opens with a visit from the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, March 22. The Black & Gold enter the upcoming season unbeaten in their last nine Opening Matches (5-0-4) at Crew Stadium dating back to 2005. The club’s home – and regular-season – schedule also wraps-up against the Union on Sunday, October 26, completing its 17th home tilt after 17 road challenges.
COMPLETE 2014 BROADCAST SCHEDULE
For more information on catching the Black & Gold in 2014 – visit TheCrew.com/tickets. Single-match tickets for all Crew regular-season home games in 2014 are now on sale.
