Ramses Sandoval Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images, Ramses Sandoval
By Michael Grant on

The MLS season is underway, and soccer fans can catch all the action on Apple TV, where subscribers can stream every MLS match. This weekend’s primetime Saturday Showdown will feature Real Salt Lake against the Seattle Sounders FC at 7:30 p.m. ET.

On the Spanish broadcast, Ramses Sandoval and Steve Cangialosi will be on the call. We spoke with Sandoval, the National Emmy Award–winning bilingual play-by-play announcer and studio host for the MLS on Apple TV, about what to expect for the 31st MLS season, the 2026 World Cup, and calling the exciting overtime finish to Super Bowl LVIII.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Awful Announcing: As someone who broadcasts in Spanish and English, is there a difference?

Ramses Sandoval: “I have a high-energy style in Spanish, which is the norm, with the passion games are known for. It goes through any nationality. Whether you’re an Argentinian colleague, a Colombian colleague, or a Mexican colleague, they all have different styles and accents. In English, it’s a little different. You have to space it out a bit more and let it breathe. Color analysts are also very different. It’s just a different ballgame.

“There are a lot of unique talents in the United States as far as how and what the style of their play-by-play is. I guess to give you a shorter answer, there are big differences just because it’s a different way of calling games. You also have to adapt to your color commentator in English and your comentarista, which is your analista, your analyst on the Spanish side.”

How is your job split now?

“I just did a Concacaf game a couple of nights ago with the Galaxy in English. With Apple TV, for the most part, I am on the Spanish side, so again, running all the hosting duties for MLS La Previa. We travel every Sunday as well, and Wrap Up, which is El Resumen for Spanish, I host that from our studios, and call games in Spanish.”

What do you anticipate for his Saturday Showdown?

“I expect a very challenging matchup and a very even game between Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders. For RSL, it’s a challenge for Pablo Mastroeni to get this team into playoff contention. For Seattle, it doesn’t surprise you that the team (does well) again and again. They were the Leagues Cup champions after defeating Inter Miami in last year’s tournament.”

What is the big story for this season?

“It’s hard to argue against a storyline that doesn’t involve Inter Miami and Lionel Messi going back-to-back, and they certainly could do that. They signed Germán Berterame, a phenomenal Argentine striker who now has a Mexican passport. He may be in the World Cup as well. You bring in a good goalkeeper in Dayne St. Clair. Yeah, they got beaten in Week 1 in L.A. In the East for me, it’s got to be Inter Miami. It’s going to be Messi. They are set now.

“In the Concacaf Champions Cup, they will take on Nashville. They could potentially take on Club América in a quarterfinal, which would be massive. They’ll participate in the Leagues Cup again. This is a team that wants to win everything. The new stadium is going to be beautiful. All of that plays into the Inter Miami side in the East.”

What other storylines stand out to you?

“Overall, LAFC is a close second for me. They just gave Denis Bouanga his mega contract, and he’s been fantastic. Son Heung-Min is great. That team is cooking. I think LAFC is the team to beat in the West and the biggest rival for Inter Miami. You still have very, very good teams in both conferences. I mentioned Seattle. It’ll be interesting to see how the LA Galaxy bounces back. Let’s see what the Minnesota United situation is with a guy like James Rodríguez coming into the league in the East.”

Who’s a young player who could be on the cusp of a breakthrough season?

“The New York Red Bulls looked phenomenal in Orlando. For the first time ever, a Major League Soccer team started three players 17 or younger. Julian Hall is one of them. He’s a young player I think is very exciting. He has unbelievable ability in the box. He’s still developing mentally and physically. I think he can get bigger, stronger, and faster.”

What kind of role will you have in the World Cup?

“I’m not in a position to put that out there yet, but we’re very fortunate to have a great managerial team with Major League Soccer and Apple TV, which allows us to do that. We have a big break with the Major League Soccer calendar during the World Cup, with a couple of big-time games leading up to the World Cup semi-final date. The managerial team makes it easy for us to have opportunities and work in different facets. It’s going to be exciting. It’s 48 teams, of course, and the venues and the games. With the United States, Mexico, and Canada involved, it’s going to be a massive tournament.”

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

“We’re very fortunate to be able to do this. I also believe you put in the work. You treat everybody the same. Everyone. It doesn’t matter what position they’re in. That gets you far. People will remember that. I always keep that in mind when I speak to my mentors. They’re unbelievable. Colleagues who started as bosses are now at my house for a birthday party because of what they mean to me. It’s precisely that. Never forget who you’re working with, not specifically who you’re working for. Because you could run into these people eventually. Or when you’re trying to pick up a job, they’re references. In our business, it’s a small business when you think about it.”

What was it like calling the Spanish broadcast for Super Bowl LVIII?

“It was the first Super Bowl ever on Univision. At that point, it was the No. 1-rated Super Bowl in Spanish history. I was able to do it in Las Vegas. It was my first time in Las Vegas, which is special. That’s an unbelievable stadium. And, of course, what a matchup. The San Francisco 49ers, a legendary franchise, against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. And, again, they went into overtime. It was special. It was unbelievable.”

Were you nervous when the game went into OT?

“There’s no doubt you get some jitters. For me, every broadcast feels special. But once you get in the groove, you sort of connect. Everybody’s different, but you sort of connect right away with what you are doing.”

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.

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