In a busy day of international soccer and World Cup Qualifying, there was one standout performer… the ESPN3 announcer for the Portugal-Sweden game. I've never quite been so intrigued by a game broadcast. It was equal parts confounding, exhilirating, hysterical, excitable, and ridiculous. It was like listening to the Portugese Ray Hudson announce a soccer game for the first time. It was the closest thing I've ever had to an out of body experience while watching the online stream of a soccer game.
Just listen to how the announcer called the lone goal of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo's game winner in the 82nd minute. IT'S A GOAL RONALDO! IT'S A GOAL RONALDO! RO!! NALDO!!…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=u6XzLa6BbVQ
The only thing we know about the announcer is that he was introduced at the beginning of the game as, I kid you not, "Joset Mourinho," which sounds just like the Chelsea manager's name. He certainly left his mark on everyone watching the game with Twitter blowing up like I've never seen for an online stream. The Twitterverse was evenly split between this being the worst thing to ever happen to soccer broadcasts, the greatest thing, or an incredible piece of satire.
He actually called Sweden "the yellow team." That really is like something out of a Sacha Baron Cohen movie!
The announcer for the Portugal vs. Sweden game on ESPN3 is tremendously bad. He sounds like a bad Spanish Sacha Baron Cohen character.
— Ted Lipowicz (@ted_lipowicz) November 15, 2013
I am more interested in the announcer of this ESPN3 SWE-POR match than the actual run of play. #PAYATTENTION
— Keith O'Brien (@keithobrien) November 15, 2013
This Sweden/Portugal announcer is the greatest. 95% of his words are the players names.
— Jon Walsh (@j85royals) November 15, 2013
Things #ESPN3 announcer says: The "yellow team" with a dangerous free kick
— Mike Dyce (@mikedyce) November 15, 2013
I'm so riveted by the call of Sweden-Portugal that I have one of my absolute favorites, @IanDarke, on mute. I think he'll understand
— Dan Levy (@DanLevyThinks) November 15, 2013
"PAY ATTENTION NOW!" screams the Portugal-Sweden announcer to an audience that is presumably already paying attention.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 15, 2013
This commentator sounds like he is in the booth for the first time armed only with an enormous bag of cocaine and Ray Hudson's autobiography
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) November 15, 2013
I've never done this before, but seriously, you need to carve out some time today to go to the ESPN3 archives and watch this game broadcast while you can. Someone at ESPN needs to place this game in a time capsule. Just please, please, please let him come back for the return leg… and the rest of the MLS Playoffs… and the World Cup.
