ESPN's unprecedented coverage of the UEFA European Football Championship 2008 will conclude Sunday, June 29, on ABC at 2:30 p.m. ET with a matchup featuring the two top-five teams in the world - Germany, ranked No. 5 in FIFA World Ranking, vs. No. 4 Spain, live from the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, Austria.

As we head into the final weekend of Euro 2008, ESPN decided to take the occasion yesterday to put out a new press release talking about how the tournament is doing viewership wise through the quarterfinal round.  So, what did they have to say? As noted in the headline, the Spain v Italy quarterfinal shown on ESPN Sunday was [.

ESPN and ABC's dreams have come true. Sunday's Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain is a far better proposition for the Disney owned TV networks than Turkey against Russia would have been. With plenty of German Americans living in the United States as well as a massive hispanic population, TV ratings should be high.

It's pretty sad when two soccer columnists who represent what is supposedly one of the nation's top newspapers are so incompetent and out-of-touch with reality. Last November, I called New York Times soccer columnist Jack Bell a wanker for writing an idiotic article criticizing Fox Soccer Channel for broadcasting the Premier League, the world's most popular [.

If you happen to notice a sense of relief coming from ESPN in the last few days, there is a reason for it.  It's because, while they are not coming in World Cup numbers, viewers are tuning in to the network's broadcasts of Euro 2008. ESPN announced today that, for the 15 Euro 2008 matches shown [..

Former Matildas and Canberra City/Tuggeranong United star Amy Taylor is our 1,000th fan. Amy is now WinTV Wollongong Sports News Reporter, Amy's also host of Fox 8 Football Superstars show.
Like many Canberrans Amy started football at a young age, and has gone on to great success in her sporting and professional life.

Sunday afternoon's Euro 2008 final between Spain and Germany on ABC was watched by 2.4 million overnight households according to numbers announced by Nielsen Media Research.  That gives the broadcast a 3.1 overnight rating based on the 77 million households in America which make up the overnight numbers.

If you aren't watching KSPR-33 news (ABC) locally, then flip over to their Sports coverage tonight. Their Athlete of the Week tonight is a local prep soccer player.

Mike Scott was also out to interview Steve Wilczewski and Marco Cherisma after last nights game against Missouri Southern (pictured).

I hope you've bought your peanuts, because the circus is coming to town. With less fanfare than a year ago (read: tickets are not sold out), David Beckham and the Rest of The Galaxy, whoever those guys are, are making their way to DC for a nationally televised game (ABC Super Happy Fun Soccer sunday).

W-League is coming even if things have gone a tad quiet. I'm expecting the TV Deal with the ABC to be announced next Thursday...and..
in Canberra I'm expecting the Coach to be announced next week.
There have been a number of applicants, interviews were held last week, so an announcement any day soon.

If you didn't catch the opening minutes of The Nooner on ABC yesterday you missed one of the most phenomenal player tributes by the fans that I've ever seen in American sports. I'm no Ben Olsen fan (Captain Caveman has always been a thorn in the Metro side) but I do respect the amount of reverence that the DC United faithful have for him.

There'll be a bit of nostalgia in today's posts leading up to the news that the Rowdies (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) will be returning. Here are highlights of a great game between the Rowdies and New York Cosmos from May 12, 1979 on ABC: I'm told that the new USL-1 team may bring back the [.

It has been a day of introductions here at EPL Talk, so let me be the latest to say hello to all of you. I am honored to be joining the site alongside all the new members, and I would like to thank The Gaffer for the opportunity to write here. Now to the big news. [...]

The second most popular national tournament in the world kicked off on Saturday. Euro 2008 is the three week competition to determine the best European national team. This year, Switzerland and Austria are co-hosting. If you missed the matches this weekend, don't feel bad. They weren't very good from a neutral perspective.

Only seven games remain in Euro 2008, a tournament that has thrilled us and kept us on the edge of our seats for two weeks. We're coming down the home stretch, and it's win-or-go-home from this point on. It doesn't get any better than that.
Here's the TV schedule for these last few matches (all times Eastern):
Thursday, June 19 (QF)
Portugal vs.

Don't forget that the third of the four quarter final matches will be on ABC instead of ESPN for viewers in the US tomorrow.
Saturday 6/21 2:30 p.m. - Netherlands vs. Russia (ABC)
Can the Dutch be stopped?
Image details: Netherlands v Romania - Group C Euro 2008 served by picapp.

Sometimes readers ask me why I don't have DirecTV or DISH Network. One of the main reasons why was on display today, and it's definitely one of the pitfalls of watching soccer on satellite television.The culprit is the weather in South Florida. During the summer here, you can almost guarantee that by 2pm that the [.

Euro 2008 Semis & Title Match, MLS Special Edition on ABC Sunday & MLS Primetime Thursday ESPN's unprecedented coverage of Euro 2008 will conclude this week with a semifinal on ESPN Wednesday, June 25, and one on ESPN2 Thursday, June 26, with the title match on ABC on Sunday, June 29, at 2:30 p.

And so only the final awaits. I must say, this has been the most enjoyable tournament in recent memory. The willingness of many teams to play open, flowing football has been a joy to watch. Mind you, I can't wait for club football to return, but this has been a better than expected diversion.

Well, that was an uncomfortable temperature for a truly entertaining game. But, that's what you get when ABC wants the game at 12. I just hope the ratings were worth having the game played on the surface of the sun. Where to begin? Oh, I know. Greater than the win, or the [...]

Canberrans are heading to Sydney FC for a once in a lifetime trip. Join and read about the trip here
And wear your A-League4 Canberra T-shirts to the first Televised Women's game on the ABC and make some noise for the cause and Canberra United of course.
And there is planning a foot for a night with.

If you aren't watching KSPR-33 news (ABC) locally, then flip over to their Sports coverage tonight. Their Athlete of the Week tonight is a local prep soccer player.

Mike Scott was also out to interview Steve Wilczewski and Marco Cherisma after last nights game against Missouri Southern (pictured).

Soccer America's Paul Gardner worked closely with Jim McKay when they commentated on the NASL for ABC. He wrote a kind remembrance this weekend. But that's not the word — serious — with which to end this short memory of Jim. He had a great sense of humor, quiet, non-flashy, like the man himself. In one [.

The obligatory David Beckham update that passes for a Galaxy preview. Game begins at 9 a.m. on ABC.

The finale of Euro 2008 follows with Spain against Germany for whom Michael Ballack is a doubt.

The big news from the locker room this morning is that Ben Olsen will be included in the 18-man roster for the first time this season. The club's long tenured midfielder has been fighting through pain all year after ankle surgery in the off-season, but in the last week or so has revved up his training regime.

Here's a good example of the fragmented marketplace these days. Plenty of people will tell you -- and they usually tell us on our comments -- that "that Beckham guy" showed up last year and disappeared. So why am I here in RFK Stadium watching the upper level fill up? And why do we have a handful of lost first-timers swelling the pressbox alongside the long-timers still arguing the merits of David Stokes' tenure in D.

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According to posters on a couple of posts on QPR fan boards - Indyrs and QPRdot.org they have received a mailing (presumably being QPR shareholders) seeking their approval for the ABC Loan is set to be paid off and the loan transferred to an Amulya Property Limited, which is supposedly connected to Flavio Briatore and Amit Bhatia.

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Assuming all works out as has been reported on the boards, QPR - and QPR fans - will finally say goodbye to six years of the "mysterious" ABC Loan which was "sucking" from the club more than a million pounds a year merely in interest payments and which had/has an end-of-July repayment date.

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QPR's Week in Review - in Brief: "Ian Dowie Sacked" rumours spread across the messageboards and into the press. before being unequivocally denied..."ABC Loan Paid off"....All Season Tickets Sold...Lee Cook and Daniel Parejo officially unveiled (after Gorkss in/Rehman and Nardiello out, at the end of the previous week).

We sure have seen a lot of hero talk lately. First, it was Tony Limarzi comparing Luciano Emilio's efforts to that of a superhero.

Now, it's ABC's TV3 out of Winchester, Virginia calling local product Devon McTavish a 'Hometown Soccer Hero.' Devon was both born and raised in the town that sits about 80 miles west of D.

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One year ago, today: June 15, 2007 - The Club held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) where talk included the ABC Loan...Chairman Paladini acknowledge he was prepared to sell...Ronnie Rosenthal was being touted as a possible buyer...and former star defender, Paul Parker returned the club as Commercial and Communications Manager.

The big day is upon is... the great ABC doubleheader. Let's start with game one, DC-LA. I think right now both these teams are fairly even in terms of talent right now, even if United's recent form is demonstrably better. DC and LA look like mirror images of each other.. sort of. Neither team has much [.

Galaxy-DC, today, 9:00 a.m. Pacific. On...guess where? You'll never guess!

ABC

Yes, I'm serious.

We're part of a double-header. DC-Galaxy first, Euro 2008 final second. It will probably the first time a lot of people have seen an MLS game. (Or part of an MLS game, if they're looking for the final and tune in early.

Germany's inspirational captain and midfield powerhouse Michael Ballack will start in the final of the European Championship, according to this report.

The game starts at 11:30 a.m. on ABC.

D.C. United is beating the Galaxy 2-1 right now on the same channel, by the way.

Just be glad ABC didn't show the Galaxy-D.C. United game after the Euro 2008 final.

The Galaxy froze on a sweltering day in the nation's capital, surrendering 4-1 to United.

Meanwhile, the Spain-Germany game is at half time.

Watch out, Cristoph Metzelder just hoofed another clearance in your direction. Pregame odds were split relatively evenly between Spain and Germany. What I'd like to have seen where the odds that that ABC's pre-Euro 2008 final MLS tilt between DC United and the Los Angeles Galaxy would have been the more exciting affair.

United ran over Los Angeles in a 4-1 win that was seen nationally on ABC. There was also a huge crowd in DC, almost 36,000 packed RFK.
Jaime Moreno gave DC the lead on a PK in the 5th minute. LA evened up after 26 on an Edson Buddle goal. But then DC got the next three goals. Two from Emilio and one from Gallardo.

Let me ask you a question... Who are the two hottest teams in MLS?  The answers are LA and DC, the two teams that will meet tomorrow at 12 on ABC.  The match will be used as a amuse bouche to the Euro 2008 final that immediately precedes the LA-DC matchup.  This is strictly an American [...]

Hey all, I know there has been some confusion about tonight's game. It will be on ESPN proper, one of only two games (next week's All-Star game being the other) on the channel this year. Two will be on ABC (well, one was...the LA/DC tilt prior to the Euro Final and MLS Cup in November) and the rest are on ESPN 2.

There's so much media available for the upcoming tournament that it is hard to sift through. However, you've got to keep up on the television schedule. ESPN and ABC have it covered, and reports indicate that much of it will be in glorious HD programming.
The UEFA website for the tournament is a productivity-sapping wealth of information.