COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew SC today announced a multi-year extension with RadiOhio, with all Black & Gold matches set to air on either 97.1 The Fan or 1460 ESPN. Crew SC begins the 2020 regular season at home this weekend and will face New York City FC at 12:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, March 1 at MAPFRE Stadium with the matching airing locally on 97.1 The Fan and streaming online via “Listen Live” at www.971thefan.com. Chris Doran is set to return in 2020 as Crew SC’s English radio play-by-play voice.
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The weekly radio show “Inside The Crew,” returns to the airwaves as well, with Crew SC broadcasters Neil Sika and Jordan Angeli hosting the show covering all things Black & Gold on Tuesday evenings from 9-10 p.m. ET on 97.1 The Fan. The debut show for 2020 will air next Tuesday, March 3 at 9 p.m. ET to recap the Club’s Opening Match this weekend and preview the team’s first road contest on March 7 at defending MLS Cup Champions, Seattle Sounders FC.
Crew SC also announced that in 2020, the Club’s Spanish audio stream, available on ColumbusCrewSC.com, is set to return with broadcaster Juan Valladares behind the microphone for his 12th season.
“With the beginning of the season upon us, we are happy to partner with RadiOhio for a multi-year extension and are thrilled to have Chris Doran calling the action for our English radio broadcasts on 97.1 The Fan and 1460 ESPN,” said Crew SC President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “We are also pleased to have Juan Valladares return as our announcer for our Club’s Spanish audio stream. We are proud that we are able to continue to broadcast audio from our matches to both our English-speaking and our Spanish-speaking supporters.”
Back in his full-time radio play-by-play duties for the second year, Chris Doran returns to the booth in 2020, bringing two decades of MLS broadcast experience. His start with MLS came in 2000 as Crew SC's substitute English radio host before becoming the full-time radio host in 2002 with the Chicago Fire. In 2004, Doran transitioned to television and spent over a decade as sideline reporter and analyst for Chicago's regional television. He returned to Black & Gold regional coverage in 2013, as an analyst and matchday host through the 2016 campaign. Previously, Doran served as the radio voice of the Indiana University soccer program. Since 2007, Doran has also served as an analyst for the Big Ten Network and play-by-play host for FOX TV's coverage of UEFA and CONCACAF championship games.
Juan Valladares is also set to return to the booth for Crew SC’s Spanish audio stream on ColumbusCrewSC.com. Valladares, now on his 12th season, 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 “Pasion 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.
The Black & Gold begin the 2020 MLS regular season at MAPFRE Stadium against New York City FC this Sunday, March 1 at 12:30 p.m. ET. Tickets to all matches on the Crew SC home schedule are available now online at ColumbusCrewSC.com or via phone.
