1998 World Cup
In 1998, the FIFA (men's) World Cup was staged in France, where ESPN faced the challenge of trying to promote the tournament without it being on home soil. The U.S. national team did not exactly help them in this effort: it was one of two teams to crash out with three losses in the group stage.
ABC and ESPN's commentary teams included:
- Bob Ley and Seamus Malin
- JP Dellacamera and Bill McDermott
- Roger Twibell and Mike Hill
- Derek Rae or Phil Schoen and Tommy Smyth or Ty Keough, all based stateside and likely contributing to studio coverage as well.
All times listed are U.S. Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4), which is six hours behind France's Central European Summer Time (UTC+2).
Group stage
Wednesday, June 10
Brazil-Scotland at Saint-Denis, 11:30 AM, ESPN. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Morocco-Norway at Montpellier, 3:00, ESPN. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Thursday, June 11
Italy-Chile at Bordeaux, 11:30 AM, ESPN. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
Cameroon-Austria at Toulouse, 3:00, ESPN2.
Friday, June 12
Paraguay-Bulgaria at Montpellier, 8:30 AM, ESPN2: JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Saudi Arabia-Denmark at Lens, 11:30 AM, ESPN2.
France-South Africa at Marseille, 3:00, ESPN2.
Saturday, June 13
Spain-Nigeria at Nantes, 8:30 AM, ESPN2.
South Korea-Mexico at Lyon, 11:30 AM, ESPN2.
Netherlands-Belgium at Saint-Denis, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Sunday, June 14
Argentina-Japan at Toulouse, 8:30 AM, ESPN. Phil Schoen, Tommy Smyth.
Yugoslavia-Iran at Saint-Etienne, 11:30 AM, ESPN2. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
Jamaica-Croatia at Lens, 3:00, ABC.
Monday, June 15
England-Tunisia at Marseilles, 8:30 AM, ESPN2.
Romania-Colombia at Lyon, 11:30 AM, ESPN.
Germany-United States at Paris, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Tuesday, June 16
Scotland-Norway at Bordeaux, 11:30 AM, ESPN2.
Brazil-Morocco at Nantes, 3:00, ESPN.
Wednesday, June 17
Chile-Austria at Saint-Etienne, 11:30 AM, ESPN.
Italy-Cameroon at Montpellier, 3:00, ESPN.
Thursday, June 18
South Africa-Denmark at Toulouse, 11:30 AM, ESPN2.
France-Saudi Arabia at Saint-Denis, 3:00, ESPN.
Friday, June 19
Nigeria-Bulgaria at Paris, 11:30 AM, ESPN2. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Spain-Paraguay at Saint-Etienne, 3:00, ESPN. Derek Rae, Ty Keough.
Saturday, June 20
Japan-Croatia at Nantes, 8:30 AM, ESPN2. Derek Rae, Tommy Smyth.
Belgium-Mexico at Bordeaux, 11:30 AM, ESPN. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Netherlands-South Korea at Marseille, 3:00, ABC. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
Sunday, June 21
Germany-Yugoslavia at Lens, 8:30 AM, ESPN.
Argentina-Jamaica at Paris, 11:30 AM, ESPN2.
United States-Iran at Lyon, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Monday, June 22
Colombia-Tunisia at Montpellier, 11:30 AM, ESPN. Derek Rae, Tommy Smyth.
Romania-England at Toulouse, 3:00, ESPN. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Tuesday, June 23
Italy-Austria at Saint-Denis, 10:00 AM, ESPN2. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Chile-Cameroon at Nantes, 10:00 AM, ESPN. Derek Rae, Tommy Smyth.
Scotland-Morocco at Saint-Etienne, 3:00, ESPN2.
Brazil-Norway at Marseille, 3:00, ESPN. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
Wednesday, June 24
France-Denmark at Lyon, 10:00 AM, ESPN. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
South Africa-Saudi Arabia at Bordeaux, 10:00 AM, ESPN2. Derek Rae, Ty Keough.
Nigeria-Paraguay at Toulouse, 3:00, ESPN2. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Spain-Bulgaria at Lens, 3:00, ESPN. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Thursday, June 25
Netherlands-Mexico at Saint-Etienne, 10:00 AM, ESPN. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
Belgium-South Korea at Paris, 10:00 AM, ESPN2. Phil Schoen, Tommy Smyth.
Germany-Iran at Montpellier, 3:00, ESPN2. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
United States-Yugoslavia at Nantes, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Friday, June 26
Argentina-Croatia at Bordeaux, 10:00 AM, ESPN2. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Japan-Jamaica at Lyon, 10:00 AM, ESPN. Phil Schoen, Tommy Smyth.
Colombia-England at Lens, 3:00, ESPN. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
Romania-Tunisia at Saint-Denis, 3:00, ESPN2. Phil Schoen, Tommy Smyth.
Round of 16
Saturday, June 27
Italy-Norway at Marseille, 10:30 AM, ESPN2. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Brazil-Chile at Paris, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Sunday, June 28
France-Paraguay at Lens, 10:30 AM, ABC.
Nigeria-Denmark at Saint-Denis, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Monday, June 29
Germany-Mexico at Montpellier, 10:30 AM, ESPN. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Netherlands-Yugoslavia at Toulouse, 3:00, ESPN. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Tuesday, June 30
Romania-Croatia at Bordeaux, 10:30 AM, ESPN. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
Argentina-England at Saint-Etienne, 3:00, ESPN. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Quarterfinals
Friday, July 3
Italy-France at Saint-Denis, 10:30 AM, ESPN2. JP Dellacamera, Bill McDermott.
Brazil-Denmark at Nantes, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Saturday, July 4
Netherlands-Argentina at Marseille, 10:30 AM, ABC. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
Germany-Croatia at Lyon, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Semifinals
Tuesday, July 7
Brazil-Netherlands at Marseille, 3:00, ESPN. Roger Twibell, Mike Hill.
Wednesday, July 8
France-Croatia at Saint-Denis, 3:00, ESPN. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Third place playoff
Saturday, July 11
Netherlands-Croatia at Paris, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.
Final
Sunday, July 12
Brazil-France at Saint-Denis, 3:00, ABC. Bob Ley, Seamus Malin.