TV

We are now done with the group stage of the 2018 World Cup and — aside from Thursday’s matches — it’s been an absolute treat. The tournament has thrilled, enraged, inspired and, most of all, confounded Fox World Cup announcers.

Despite the absence of the United States, the 2018 World Cup has been as engaging as any in recent memory. We didn’t just have one Landon Donovan-against-Algeria moment; we had three groups decided at the death. 

The Germany vs Sweden match on Saturday was set up to be Fox’s best broadcast of the tournament.

The match came right after Mexico held on to beat South Korea, boosting interest in the game. The defending champion was on the brink of elimination against another recognizable European foe. And it was one of the few matches Fox actually had people in the stadium, with John Strong and Stu Holden calling the match from Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi.

When it comes to World Cup coverage, you expect to see the best analysts providing the best analysis. Unfortunately, Fox never got the memo that this is the biggest tournament in the world and skimped on analytical talent. Fortunately for Fox, they still have Dr. Joe Machnik.

Dr. Joe Machnik is a former player, coach and referee — you name it, he’s done it. Last fall he was elected into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame. And he’s easily the best analyst Fox has for the 2018 World Cup.

Welcome to Fox Watch, where we examine how Fox is covering the 2018 World Cup. 

I’ve seen a lot of complaints on social media about the U.S. World Cup broadcasters talking too much during the match. The reason might be simpler than you think — they’re pulling double duty for the Fox World Cup radio broadcast as well.

I thought American football announcers were bad. These dudes calling the World Cup are equally awful. They miss the game for the stats. Way too much technical talk. Let us watch! It’s television not radio.

Many people following the World Cup this summer watched Fox's announcing duo of Jorge Perez-Navarro and Mariano Trujillo for the first time on Saturday. Many people were quick to point out how much they hated Jorge Perez-Navarro.

The World Cup is the greatest spectacle in sport. But Fox decided it wanted to cut costs by not sending a full crew to Russia — instead broadcasting a majority of matches from a studio in Los Angeles. So, we’ve decided to keep an eye on how the Fox World Cup coverage stacks up to previous ESPN broadcasts, particularly what comes out of the Foxhole in LA.