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Home , Fox Soccer, Fox Soccer Plus, Martin Tyler, World Club Challenge

FOX SPORTS’ GUS JOHNSON TO CALL HIS FIRST-EVER MATCH FOR

Accomplished, Veteran Sportscaster Puts 18-Months of Study into Practice On Feb. 13 Calling Real Madrid- United

LOS ANGELES – One of America’s most distinctive and dynamic sportscasters calls his first- ever match for FOX Soccer on Wednesday, Feb. 13 when renowned play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson calls the highly anticipated UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match between Real Madrid and Manchester United, live from Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu at 2:00 PM ET. The assignment is the first in a series of Barclays , FA Cup and UEFA Champions League matches Johnson is expected to call, including the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League Finals, May 11 and 25, respectively, on FOX.

Johnson, who has become a household name among sports fans for his memorable calls and signature catchphrases, has spent most of his career covering professional and collegiate sports, including football, , baseball and boxing, among others. Calling soccer, however, is a relatively new undertaking.

“Over the past 20 years Gus has cemented himself as an iconic American sports broadcaster, and we’re thrilled to welcome his style to the world soccer stage,” said David Nathanson, Executive Vice President and General Manager of FOX Soccer. “Gus has spent the last year- and-a-half getting ready to call what is a new sport for him, and I applaud the work, study and time he’s devoted to his preparation. He respects how passionate and knowledgeable the soccer fan is, and while his education continues, he’s ready to lend his classic American voice to the world’s biggest sport.”

Since accepting this new challenge, Johnson has tapped several resources in his effort to learn as much as possible in such a short period of time. He called over a dozen MLS games on radio, mostly those of the San Jose Earthquakes; he has played pick-up soccer games in a park near his Manhattan home; spent several weeks in Europe last season attending games and conversing at length with executives and world-class football play-by-play announcer Martin Tyler. In Madrid, Johnson is partnering with FOX Soccer analyst Warren Barton, who in his playing days appeared in more than 300 Premier League matches. Barton, along with former players Eric Wynalda and Cobi Jones have aided Johnson tremendously in his soccer broadcasting education, collaborating with him on numerous practice telecasts under the tutelage of FOX Soccer Executive Producer Jonty Whitehead.

“No doubt that the followers of this sport are among the most passionate, knowledgeable fans in the world, and I’m a newcomer,” said Johnson. “The effort to learn the sport and absorb its nuance has been a humbling experience. While I’ve put a lot of time into my preparation thus far, it’s definitely going to take a lot of reps before I’ve mastered soccer’s rhythm and pace, but I am determined to do so, and with all the support I’m receiving I have no doubt that I will.”

In addition to Johnson’s Feb. 13 assignment in Madrid, he’s scheduled to call another UEFA Champions League match, this one between Arsenal and Bayern Munich, on Feb. 19 with analyst Ray Clemence and a Barclays Premier League game featuring Manchester City and Chelsea on Feb. 24 with Lee Dixon as analyst.

Since joining FOX Sports in 2011 Johnson has been a staple of the network’s college football (Big Ten, Pac-12, Big 12, and Conference USA) and NFL productions. This past year, he has been on the call for memorable moments such as Texas A&M’s 41-13 trouncing of Oklahoma in the 77th , USC’s high-scoring 62-51 loss to Oregon last November, and Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez’s 76-yard touchdown run in the 2012 Big Ten Championship game.

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ABOUT FOX SOCCER FOX Soccer, part of the FOX Sports Media Group, offers the most comprehensive multi-media coverage of world- class soccer available in the . Encompassing FOX Soccer, , FOXSoccer.com and FOX Soccer 2Go, the network serves as the primary television, online, and mobile smart phone and tablet destination in the U.S. for elite competitions including ’s Barclays Premier League and FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, the , and the Australian Hyundai A-League in addition to such prestigious tournaments as the CONCACAF Champions League and CONCACAF Gold Cup, as well as the future home of the 2015 FIFA Women’s . Flagship FOX Soccer is Nielsen-rated and available to service providers in High-Definition, reaching nearly 50 million cable and satellite households nationwide. FOX Soccer Plus is a premium network providing the core fan with even more international and domestic high-level sports competitions in HD. In addition to live, exclusive soccer matches from the best leagues in the world, FOX Soccer Plus delivers premium rugby from the RaboDirect PRO 12 League, Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup, among other competitions. Additionally, FOX Soccer Plus carries the world’s top competitions, including ’s and , along with Europe’s Stobart and Carnegie . Plus is also home to rugby league’s World Club Challenge and the Australian Football League. Live match coverage is available for fans on-the-go via premium broadband service FOX Soccer 2Go, available online and via mobile and tablet applications. For more information – as well as news, features, analysis stats and more – visit one of America’s most-visited online soccer destinations at FOXSoccer.com, and the network’s Facebook page and Twitter feed (@FOXSoccer).