CHICAGO (March 5, 2015) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club and ESPN Deportes 97.5 FM announced today broadcasting agreement for all 34 of the Fire’s Major League Soccer matches this season, beginning with the season opener at the LA Galaxy on Friday, March 6 at 9:00 p.m. CT. Match day coverage for all Fire games will include pre-game show, post-game wrap-up and comprehensive play-by-play action. Rodrigo Arana and Raquel Ortiz will serve in play-by-play and analysis roles, respectively.
“Our broadcast partnership with ESPN Deportes is yet another opportunity to serve the needs of our Spanish-speaking fan base,” said Fire COO Atul Khosla. “Through this deal, our games will air on the same local station as other world class soccer properties, including Liga MX, and factor among the biggest stories in sports. We’re thrilled by this agreement and look forward to tomorrow night’s game.”
“We are thrilled to be the home of The Chicago Fire Soccer matches and look forward to an exciting season,” said Matt Scarano, Market President, iHeartMedia Chicago.
A native of Mexico City, Arana has been working eight years covering and broadcasting sporting events. He spent seven years at Fox Sports Latin America, as play-by-play and color analyst for various soccer leagues, NFL, MLB, UFC, and Bellator, including events such as the Super Bowl, World Series and MX League Final. He currently serves as the Sports Anchor for Noticiero Telemundo Chicago at 5:00 and 10:00 p.m. each weekday.
Ortiz began as a Spanish-language columnist for mlssoccer.com, covering the Chicago Fire, in June of 2005. Since then, she has covered the Chicago Fire, contributing to its website and other media radio and television outlet. She debuted with the radio broadcast team in 2006 and has served the past five seasons as the color commentator. Prior to her work covering the Fire, Ortiz hosted and produced a sports-only radio show on Radio Arte 90.5 FM, managing the on-air website content for three years.
