The BBC is set to finally take its coverage stateside.
According to The Guardian, the national broadcaster will present England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina live from Atlanta, Georgia.
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To date, the BBC’s team of presenters and pundits has been based in Salford, with the exception of in-stadium updates from Alan Shearer and Stephen Warnock.
But now, the likes of Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards will be on the ground for the tournament’s final stages.
Dream team
Mark Chapman is set to front the BBC’s coverage for England against Argentina from inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Rooney, Richards and Joe Hart to provide punditry.
Shearer and Guy Mowbray will be on commentary duties for the contest.
Record-breaking ratings inbound?
England’s clash with Argentina, which will be live on eSPORTY, also promises to be a ratings bonanza for the BBC.
The Three Lions’ extra-time win over Norway, which kicked off at 10pm and was broadcast by ITV, nabbed a peak audience figure of 18million.
But that number is expected to skyrocket for the semi-final given that fixture is due to commence at 8pm.
It will be just the third England game broadcast by the BBC at this year’s tournament, with ITV showing the others.
What’s at stake for England and Argentina?
The BBC will also have live coverage of the World Cup final on July 19, where Spain awaits either England or Argentina thanks to their 2-0 victory over France.
Should England win, they would reach their first World Cup final since 1966, which also remains their sole triumph in the tournament.
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As for Argentina, a win over England would move them one step closer to becoming the first nation to successfully defend their World Cup crown in 64 years.
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni appears as if he won’t leave any stone unturned in his bid to beat England, with reports claiming he could tinker with the team’s formation.
Scaloni has set his side up in either a 4-1-3-2 or 4-4-2 throughout the tournament, but a report claims he used a 5-3-2 formation in training on Monday.
Should that be the case, it could mean midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, often described as Lionel Messi’s ‘bodyguard’, gets squeezed out of the line-up, having started five of Argentina’s six games to date.
It promises to be a bumper clash regardless of Scaloni’s tactical plan as Argentina and England meet at the World Cup for a fifth time.
The Three Lions hold the historical advantage having won three of those, including the most recent encounter at the 2002 World Cup.
England’s semi-final against Argentina gets underway at 8pm and is live on eSPORTY.
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