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Former ESPN soccer analyst and MLS MVP Taylor Twellman is joining Yahoo Sports as a video contributor for the outlet’s multiplatform World Cup coverage, the sides confirmed to Front Office Sports.
The move reunites Twellman with Yahoo Media Group president Ryan Spoon and Yahoo Sports head of video and audio Matt Ufford, with whom he previously worked at ESPN. The ex-New England Revolution star pointed to Yahoo’s flexibility in working around his commitments with sponsors as being key to making the deal happen.
“It really just came down to old-school relationships,” Twellman told FOS.
During the World Cup, Twellman will regularly appear on Yahoo Sports Daily, which is hosted by Caroline Fenton and another former ESPNer in Jason Fitz. He’ll also make appearances on The Cooligans, the show led by Alexis Guerreros and Christian Polanco.
“Taylor continues to be one of the most compelling voices in soccer. His smart, engaging analysis will elevate our growing video coverage across Yahoo Sports, social, YouTube, and FAST this summer,” Spoon said.
Twellman currently covers the MLS for Apple TV.
One of the factors Twellman is intrigued by heading into the World Cup is how the USMNT will perform with the event in the team’s “backyard” across North America. He also noted that the nation’s awareness of soccer is far greater than when the United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994.
“Our exposure to the game around the world has exponentially grown, particularly in the last six or seven years and the United States players have grown since failing to qualify for the World Cup in 2018,” Twellman said.
The 46-year-old is also fascinated by the dynamic of the World Cup expanding from 32 teams to 48. Eight third-place teams will now advance from their groups to the knockout stage.
“This kind of becomes a little unpredictable. It also becomes a tournament where you could see some lopsided scorelines, because I think teams that are qualifying for the tournament for the first time in a very, very long time may be outmatched at some point,” Twellman said.
In addition to Twellman, Yahoo is collaborating with the soccer platform OneFootball to bring the show The Two Robbies and Friends, with former soccer players Robbie Earle, Robbie Mustoe, and Kyle Martino, to its hub.
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