Aly’s call of Cup will be historic
It’s about the soccer. Yes, Aly Wagner is a pioneer. The former U.S. national team star will be the first woman to serve as a game analyst for a men’s World Cup match when Russia 2018 kicks off on June 14, but she’d rather steer the conversation back to the beautiful game.
“It’s about performing in the biggest tournament and delivering a great product for all the people that are going to tune in, than it is about me breaking barriers,” Wagner told the Daily News at a recent Fox Sports World Cup kickoff event in Manhattan.
“I’m happy to do it, don’t get me wrong. I never set out that this is my goal. But it just happened and again I feel really humbled and honored, but it’s never been about me. It’s always been about people falling in love with the game the way that I fell in love with the game. That’s what I hope to bring to the broadcast.”
If the Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup veteran with 131 international games on her resume can inspire a few folks along the way, that’s cool, too.
“I think it’s really important to have men and young boys and teenagers ... hear women’s voices in the sports world on the level of analyst,” Wagner, who also played a key role in Fox Sports’ coverage of the 2015 Women’s World Cup, said. “As long as it’s good analysis, it doesn’t matter and I think that’s important for both men and women.”
As for the soccer, while there was plenty of initial doom and gloom about the American squad failing spectacularly in CONCACAF qualifying last year, Wagner was able to find a silver lining.
“In a way, because there isn’t a U.S. (team going to Russia), you can have affinity for multiple teams,” she offered. “You can start to have a favorite in each group . ... I think as a company we can delve deeper (into the storylines of other teams) because there is no USA to focus on.”
With the U.S. failing to qualify, Fox Sports opted to send just two of its six broadcast teams to Russia this summer. Wagner and Derek Rae will broadcast games from Fox’s studios in Los Angeles.
“We’re going to have a tactical cam,” she said when quizzed about the challenges of broadcasting an event from a studio. “So that’s going to give us our big view — our big vision — that I need for the field to just understand the shape that both teams are setting up and really looking at how they are going to approach the match.
“And so from that perspective, as long as I have that, I’m good . ... I’ve (also) got the feed that everyone sees at home that I can speak to and dissect and get in to (the game) in layers.”
What did Wagner learn from serving as an analyst for the Women’s World Cup three years ago that she will take into this tournament?
“It gave me a really good understanding of the demands of the tournament,” Wagner said. “I covered a ton of matches and I was traveling all over, so getting used to the nature of the grind of the tournament was really good experience for me because I know what I’m about to get into.”
As for any pre-tournament jitters, Wagner jokingly said, “I still need a little more time, I’ve got a lot of teams to research,” referring to the 16 teams during the group stage that she and Rae will call.
“It’s an insane amount of players and teams, styles, tendencies to know, but we’ve got some fun ones.”
Wagner and Rae will open the tournament with Morocco vs. Iran on Friday.
She singled out Morocco as an under-the-radar team to keep an eye on. Wagner also hyped England, if Harry Kane returns to form.
“I think England makes a deep run in this tournament,” she said.
Despite her German roots and calling the defending champions a “well-oiled machine” and a squad that will “entertain with precision,” Wagner is eyeing a new champion to emerge in Russia.
“I’m a romantic,” Wagner said. “France is who I pick to lift (the trophy).”