Football from England kicks off a new season
Top-flight football from England is back for another season on ESPN with coverage of the Barclays Premier League.
Last season saw a neck-and-neck battle for the title between the two league leaders, heated city rivals Manchester United and Manchester City, go right down to the season closer, when two injury-time goals lifted City above QPR (and thus ahead of United on goal differential) and to their first title in 44 years.
The Manchester sides return as strong as ever - with United vying for a record 20th league title this season - but not to be counted out are other top challengers led by Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, the latter the FA Cup holders and winners of the latest UEFA Champions League title.
ESPN features coverage of the Barclays Premier League all season, airing LIVE and on short-turnaround.
*Schedule: LIVE coverage
Aug 18 07:30am Barclays Premier League
Aug 25 07:30am Barclays Premier League
*NOTE: English Premier League not available to cruise lines.
La Liga returns to ESPN with the start of season coverage of the Spanish Primera División
The Spanish Primera División remains along with the English Premier League and Italian Serie A, one of the world's strongest leagues, yearly offering up a season of fast-paced, skillful football. La Liga is home to two of the most important sides in world football, Real Madrid and Barcelona, who keep the league in the headlines all season long.
It was a tight battle last season, but in the end it was Real Madrid claiming the title while denying archrival Barcelona a fourth consecutive one. Even the efforts of Argentine talent Leo Messi for Barça - who finished the season with an astounding 50 goals to his name - wasn't enough to deny Real Madrid and star Cristiano Ronaldo (with 46 goals) a record 32nd league title.
ESPN's coverage of the Spanish Primera League airs LIVE or on short-turnaround all season. NOTE: All match selections are made one week in advance and will be played at the following times:
Spanish Primera League Schedule:
Saturday: 10:00am ET, 12:00pm ET, 2:00pm ET, 4:00pm ET
Sunday: 6:00am ET, 9:00am ET, 11:00am ET, 1:00pm ET, 3:00pm ET
Italian Serie A football kicks off a new season on ESPN
Top-flight football from Italy returns to ESPN in August with weekend coverage airing all season from Italian Serie A. Delivering all the drama and passion fans have learned to expect from this competitive league, each season of Italian Serie A is action-packed and highly-entertaining.
Last season saw mighty Juventus climb back on top of Serie A, clinching their first 'scudetto' title since 2003. In the end, they defeated their top rival, 2011 champion AC Milan, by four points and notched a season with no losses. Both return ready to battle for another title, joined by other top finishers from last season Udinese, Lazio and Napoli, with traditional favorites Inter Milan and AS Roma certain to be in the headlines.
ESPN's coverage of Italian Serie A football airs LIVE, on short-turnaround or taped throughout the season. NOTE: All match selections are made one week in advance and will be played at the following times:
Italian Serie A Schedule:
Saturday: 12:00pm ET, 2:30pm ET
Sunday: 6:30am ET, 9:00am ET, 2:30pm ET
INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL
The Campeonato Brasileiro continues on ESPN
August has more coverage on ESPN of the Campeonato Brasileiro, the highest level of football in Brazil, a country long-recognized as the touchstone for how the game of football should be played, where both skill and style have equal weight.
Among the favorites for this year's title are defending champions Corinthians, recent champions Fluminense (2010) and Flamengo (2009), not to mention São Paulo, winners of three consecutive titles from 2006-2008, and the league's most successful sides, Santos and Palmeiras.
Coverage of the Campeonato Brasileiro airs throughout the month on ESPN - LIVE, on short-turnaround or taped. Dates/times TBD.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER (MLS)
MLS coverage continues LIVE on ESPN - SKC vs. NY Red Bulls
Major League Soccer (MLS) on ESPN in August spotlights two top Eastern challengers as Sporting Kansas City host the New York Red Bulls. SKC started on fire, winning seven in a row before dropping their next three games and allowing top rivals like the Red Bulls and D.C. United to gain ground. The Red Bulls continue to get sharp play from French star Thierry Henry, while midfielder Dwayne De Rosario – the reigning league MVP - has D.C. United looking like their old championship selves.
Meanwhile out West, the defending champion Los Angeles Galaxy have been surprise basement-dwellers while their toughest rivals - led by Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders FC and the San Jose Earthquakes - all started the season in sharp form, giving notice to David Beckham, Landon Donovan and the rest of the Galaxy crew that they'll need to look a whole lot sharper if they hope to make the playoffs again this season.
ESPN's coverage of MLS airs all season, LIVE or on short-turnaround, with LIVE coverage August 26 at 9:00pm of Sporting Kansas City hosting Henry and the Red Bulls.