COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew SC today announced that in addition to CD102.5 FM continuing as the official English-language radio home of the Black & Gold, it has renewed its partnership with La Mega 103.1 FM as the official Spanish-language radio home of Crew SC. As part of the deal, La Mega is set to air all 34 Columbus Crew SC regular-season matches during the 2017 campaign with Juan Valladares providing commentary, making this the seventh consecutive year that Crew SC contests can be found in Spanish on La Mega. The Spanish radio calls are also set to be streamed in Spanish on the LaMega1 App and via Tunein Radio as WVKO-FM.
Already under contract for 2017, CD102.5 FM’s English radio coverage of Crew SC features match simulcast audio from Neil Sika and Dwight Burgess, who will be returning in 2017 as well as the station’s weekly radio show “Inside Crew SC.” The 60-minute show, hosted by Sika and Burgess, features reaction and analysis surrounding the club, complete with interviews from current Crew SC personnel as well as both local and national soccer personalities. The show is set to once again air on Sunday nights from 8–9 p.m. ET, with the first episode of the year taking place on February 26 at 8 p.m. ET.
Audio from the show is later posted for playback on ColumbusCrewSC.com.
2017 CREW SC TV BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Valladares originally joined Crew SC as a sideline analyst during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. 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, followed by working for Radio America Deportiva from 2002-2008. He then 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.
Sika and Burgess continue as play-by-play and color commentator, respectively, with the matches simulcast on CD102.5. Sika is set to begin his 11th complete season with Columbus Crew SC after joining the club's radio coverage full-time in 2007. Burgess, meanwhile, returns for his 22nd season on the microphone, bringing more than three decades of soccer-specific broadcast experience. The CD102.5 broadcast will also be the local radio broadcast in English featuring Sika and Burgess when Crew SC plays on national television in 2017.
Crew SC will next face Carolina Challenge Cup tournament-host Charleston Battery on Wednesday (5 p.m. ET) before closing the Carolina Challenge Cup against the defending MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET). The 2017 Major League Soccer regular season opens on March 4 against the Chicago Fire at MAPFRE Stadium, presented by MAPFRE Insurance. The full Crew SC preseason and regular schedule can be downloaded and synced on iOS and Android devices.
