Sportsnet Scores with Comprehensive Coverage of the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament

– Multiplatform coverage features all 15 matches live and in HD –

– SOCCER CENTRAL panel onsite at BC Place –

– Canada needs semifinal win to qualify for The London 2012 Olympic Games –

TORONTO, ON (January 17, 2012) - Sportsnet goes for soccer gold, bringing viewers wall-to-wall, live HD coverage of all 15 games from the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament at BC Place in Vancouver. The tournament kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 19 with a doubleheader starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT with Costa Rica versus Cuba (Sportsnet East, Ontario, Pacific and ONE) followed by hometown favourite Canada taking on Haiti at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT in the must-see nightcap (Sportsnet Ontario, Pacific and ONE). Please see below for complete broadcast schedule.

SOCCER CENTRAL’s Gerry Dobson and Craig Forrest provide play by play and analysis, respectively, for all 15 games of the tournament. Craig MacEwen joins Dobson and Forrest at BC Place to host Sportsnet’s broadcasts, alongside former Canadian Women’s National Team member Kara Lang, and as of Jan. 23, Stephen Brunt. Breakfast Television Vancouver’s Jody Vance rounds out the broadcast team, updating fans from the sidelines.

Sportsnet’s all-inclusive coverage of the tournament also features a nightly show airing between matches, with updates and analysis from the broadcast team and special features by Stephen Brunt - including a sit down interview with Canadian captain Christine Sinclair on Jan. 19 and Coach John Herdman on Jan. 21.

The 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament features both Canada and the United States, the two highest world-ranked teams in the eight-nation tournament. Herdman and Sinclair will be leading Team Canada on a focused quest to a semifinal victory on Jan. 27, which will earn the team a berth to The London 2012 Olympic Games.

In addition to providing comprehensive coverage of the live matches, Sportsnet keeps fans connected to the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament on its various platforms:

Sportsnet Connected

Beginning Jan. 19, Sportsnet Connected provides daily tournament previews, recaps, and highlights of the day’s matches.

 

sportsnet.ca

Every night throughout the tournament at 12:50 a.m. ET / 10:50 p.m. PT, sportsnet.ca updates fans on the day’s events with the exclusive “sportsnet.ca Post Game Show”, streamed live and also available for later viewing.

 

Sportsnet magazine

The latest edition of Sportsnet, on newsstands now, features a profile on Canadian head coach John Herdman as told by columnist Stephen Brunt. Herdman discusses his quick transition into his new role while leading his team to victory at the 2011 Pan American Games.

 

Sportsnet 590 The FAN and Sportsnet 960 The FAN

Listeners can tune in to Sportsnet 590 The FAN and Sportsnet 960 The FAN for scores, updates, exclusive interviews and breaking news as the tournament progresses.

 

Broadcast Schedule

Thursday, Jan. 19:

 Group A - Costa Rica vs. Cuba, 8 p.m. ET on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet East and Sportsnet Ontario, 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

Thursday, Jan. 19:

 Group A - Canada vs. Haiti, 10:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet Ontario, 7:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

Friday, Jan. 20:

 Group B - Mexico vs. Guatemala, 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

Friday, Jan. 20:

 Group B - Dominican Republic vs. United States, 7:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

Saturday, Jan. 21:

 Group A - Haiti vs. Costa Rica, 8 p.m. ET on Sportsnet East and Sportsnet Ontario, 6:00 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West, 5:00 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

Saturday, Jan. 21:

 Group A - Canada vs. Cuba, 10:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet East and Sportsnet Ontario, 8:30 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West, 7:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

Sunday, Jan. 22:

 Group B - Mexico vs. Dominican Republic, 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Sportsnet One

Sunday, Jan. 22:

 Group B - United States vs. Guatemala, 7 p.m. ET on Sportsnet East and Sportsnet Ontario, 5 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West, 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

Monday, Jan. 23:

 Group A - Cuba vs. Haiti, 8 p.m. ET on Sportsnet East and Sportsnet Ontario, 6 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West, 5 p.m. on Sportsnet Pacific

Monday, Jan. 23:

 Group A - Canada vs. Costa Rica, 10:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet Ontario, 8:30 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West, 7:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

Tuesday, Jan. 24:

 Group B - Guatemala vs. Dominican Republic, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet One

Tuesday, Jan. 24:

 Group B - United States vs. Mexico, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Sportsnet One

Friday, Jan. 27:

 Semifinal #1 - B1 vs. A2, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet One

Friday, Jan. 27:

Semifinal #2 - A1 vs. B2, 11 p.m. ET on Sportsnet Ontario and Sportsnet East, 9:00 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West, 8:00 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

Sunday, Jan. 29:

Final - Winner A1/B2 vs. Winner B1/A2, 7:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet Ontario and Sportsnet East, 5:30 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West, 4:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific

About Sportsnet

Sportsnet connects Canadian sports fans to their favourite teams and athletes, using five platforms: TV, Radio, Print, Online and Mobile. Sportsnet is Fuelled By Fans, and delivers storytelling on a local, regional, national and global level.  The multiplatform brand consists of Sportsnet, sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN, Sportsnet magazine, Sportsnet Mobile and the Hockey Central app on iPad and Playbook.  Sportsnet is the Canadian leader in NHL and MLB television broadcasts and is home to 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, plus MLB Playoffs and the World Series.  Sportsnet is an official broadcaster of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and also offers an exciting sports lineup including the NFL, the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, the Memorial Cup, and soccer programming with UEFA Champions League, Barclays Premier League, MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Canadian national team matches for men and women.  Sportsnet Connected is the network’s nightly news program, providing regional and national coverage of the day’s events in the world of sports.

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @RogersSportsnet; @Soccercentral

Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/Sportsnet, www.Facebook.com/Soccercentral

-30-