After a summer of globetrotting, Fox Sports' John Strong finally gets a home game

Between June 3 and Aug. 6, John Strong traveled to 16 cities in four countries to call a total of 20 soccer games for various Fox Sports channels.

He worked the UEFA Champions League Final in Cardiff, Wales; U.S. national team World Cup qualifiers in suburban Denver and Mexico City; FIFA Confederations Cup games in St. Petersburg, Sochi, Moscow and Kazan; CONCACAF Gold Cup games in Nashville, Tampa, Cleveland, Philadelphia, suburban Dallas and Santa Clara; and MLS games in Atlanta, Chicago and New York, including the All-Star Game.

It is a life that many of us would like to have. But even for those who are masters of the craft, a schedule like that can be just a little much.

So Strong got some well-deserved rest earlier this month. He returned to the microphone Friday for the Portland Timbers-New York Red Bulls game, played in the city he's called home all his life.

This Sunday, he'll have the call when the Seattle Sounders host the Timbers in the 99th edition of American soccer's most famous inter-city rivalry (9:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes)

I spoke with Strong recently about his summer of globe-trotting, and Sunday's game. The interview publishes today because it's the fifth anniversary of his debut at Fox. On this day in 2012, Strong did the voiceover on a UEFA Champions League qualifying-playoff-round highlight show.

Does it feel at this point as if you were really on the road that much?

Yeah. The joke I've had is I'm sort of readjusting to civilian life, from this stretch of airplanes and airports and hotel rooms. My only worry was, when do I have to be at the next city, when's the next game, and making sure I'm prepared. Now, since being home, it's clean up after the dogs, do laundry, get my son to school, try to make up for the fact that my wife had to hold down the fort by herself for two months.

So a different level of exhaustion and responsibility, but it's been great. That was an incredible stretch.

It's been nice having an off weekend and being back at home, and getting some good family time. And the nice thing is, the rest of the year is actually fairly quiet. We had the game in Portland Friday night, we've got a couple games in Seattle, we've got a couple off weekends.

Spring is always the high season. This summer was crazy. Fall tends to sort of quiet down as we build toward the MLS playoffs, and then winter is essentially off. It's the fun part that you come home and get rest and relaxation, but there's also other responsibilities you've got to start taken care of because you've been a bum on the road for two months.

How many free flights, upgrades and such did you earn?

Undetermined yet. I've got to circle around with Delta. They've yet to give me credit for a couple of flights, including coming home from Russia and the Confederations Cup. But yeah, that's a big part of it.

We like to do a nice vacation every winter. My wife's brother and his family, they've got three boys, they're in town all throughout this week. I was able to help them out on one of the legs of their flight, because they're flying five people. So I cashed in some miles.

Definitely one of the nice side benefits of all the side travel is when it comes times for a family vacation or stuff like that, you can cash that stuff in for sure.

I know I've asked you this before, but especially given what you've just done, could you ever have imagined a year of your life unfolding like this?

Heh. No. This is all just insane. It's been true every step of the way that even if I had these dreams of things I wanted to do, to actually have them happen to me — to have them happening now — is particularly surreal.

And there were absolutely a few moments, especially in Russia, where I just sort of sat there for a moment and was like, "OK, I'm here *in Russia* calling soccer." And there were moments like that calling the Champions League final and stuff.

I think specific to Russia, it's just sort of as someone who's always had a great interest in history and current events, and things like that, it was particularly special. And the exciting thing is getting to go back next year, and feeling a lot more prepared for life in Russia for a month.

But absolutely, I mean, to be able to make a living doing this is rare, and I'm well aware of that. We see all the time, certainly for writers, it's hard to make it in America covering soccer. So to be able to do that and have this dream job is something that none of us take for granted. That's for darn sure.

While you were in Russia, how much of an advance look did you get at what Fox will be doing next year during the World Cup?

It's hard to answer that question in full, just because it's sort of separated — you have the studio crews and you have the game crews. And it is two different realities and two different worlds. So while from a studio crew standpoint, we had some resources on the ground, it was a smaller presence. It was in St. Petersburg — we're going to be based in Moscow [for the World Cup].

From a studio crew standpoint, it wasn't quite as much of a dry run. From a remote or a game crew standpoint, it absolutely was. And that was eyes wide open the whole time. It was part of why we were as aggressive as we were calling eight of the games [on site], and basically on the move every single day.

It was to really get a sense of, OK, how can this work next year? How easy is it to move people around Russia? What are the hotels like, what's the transportation infrastructure like, what are the stadiums like? And obviously we had a pretty large compound of people in St. Petersburg, which sort of acted as the IBC [international broadcast center] for the Confederations Cup.

From that standpoint, I think we all came out of with absolutely a list of things. Here are things we didn't know going in, here are things that we understand better, here are changes to make. But in general, I think everyone was thrilled with how it came out. And it was the culmination of a couple of years of work and what we learned from the Women's World Cup, what we learned from Copa América Centenario.

That's where I say — I get where the Confederations Cup, the value is being questioned, the future is questioned. I get all that. Although this tournament was fantastic. But the value of the Confederations Cup for the local organizing committee, for the people on the ground, for the broadcasters, is huge.

We gained so much, particularly given that this is our first [men's] World Cup. We gained so much from having that experience in Russia that we can now apply to next year. And there will be elements of it, including the studio crew, where you are sort of building from scratch to a certain extent.

I know we're going to have resources on the ground way, way before the tournament actually begins. But I also feel coming out of it, I individually am much more well-prepared for what it's going to be like in Russia. Our team is, in particular. And hopefully the feedback and the notes that we've given can make sure that the other game crews that are going are going to be as prepared, and be put in the best position possible to succeed next year.

One thing that happened of quite some consequence at the Confederations Cup was the launch of video replay officials. It had a bit of a rocky debut over there. But over here, it has launched pretty well in MLS so far. What was it like seeing it in action in the stadiums in Russia?

Well, I think sort of to your point, to those of us who have grown up in the U.S. and are fans of other sports in the U.S., it's not really a big deal. And in fact, it's sort of like, why has it taken this long? So for us the idea of having a video review of something, it's not new at all.

It's definitely very new to a lot of people, especially in Europe. Although, again, we see it in tennis, we see it in cricket. It's not like it's completely brand new.

But it was interesting, on the eve of the tournament, HBS [the host broadcast service that produces the global television feed] sent out a big PDF document of how it's going to work from a FIFA and IFAB* standpoint, here's how we're going to present it, here's how we hope that our procedures work so that you, as game broadcasters, can better explain what's going on to the viewers at home.

[* — Although FIFA is the game's global governing body, IFAB — the International Football Association Board — is the game's global rulemaker. It established the procedure on video replay.]

And inevitably, those processes sort of broke down, largely because it was brand new to the referees as well. And different to the roll-out in MLS, where they were working for months and months behind the scenes with the referees. It was a matter of days, basically, that the referees in Russia got. So there were actually very different roll-outs and processes.

But I give HBS credit, because halfway through the tournament they were reaching out to a lot of broadcasters, looking for feedback. That ended up getting in front of me, and I offered some feedback and some thoughts.

Some of it is the same conversation we've had with MLS: making sure you are communicating as much as possible, in real time as much as possible. What are you looking at, what are you looking for, what is the decision then. So that as the yellow card is being shown, as the decision is being reversed, we can explain — sometimes it's not entirely obvious to us — exactly what has happened here and why.

And also, one of the things I mentioned to them is that as American sports fans, we are very familiar with the concept and the difference in "the call is confirmed" or "the call stands." That idea being, "We found on the replay that it was absolutely the right decision," as compared to, "You know, we just can't tell, so we're going to stick with it."

I think that's a concept that if you're in Europe and you're running this, it's something very foreign to you, and [it's about] trying to make that a part of the communication process, or a part of the understanding.

There was an incident in particular in Mark Geiger's game, Australia-Germany, and they were looking at if there was a handball in the sequence that led to one of Australia's goals. We have replay looks at it. The call on the field was a good goal. It stands as a good goal.

And it sort of evolved into this argument of, "How can you say that wasn't a handball?" And it's like, "I don't know that they were saying that it 100 percent wasn't a handball. They're just saying that they weren't sure enough from the replay looks to overturn the call on the field."

Those sorts of semantics were a part of our conversation with Howard Webb [who's in charge of MLS' video review program], when we sat down with him and had a big presentation day at the MLS All-Star Game. Then that's a big part of our conversation as we're rolling out video review in MLS.

So I'll be interested to see. You've got MLS, you've got the Bundesliga, you've got the Dutch league, I think, and Australia as well, who are all using it over the course of this year [as is Italy's Serie A].

Can you get to a point where you've got best practices in place? Can you get to a point where in a relatively small amount of time, you can get referees who are not using it regularly, who it is unfamiliar to, get them up to speed to make sure that in that first World Cup game, when that first crucial decision happens, when that first video review takes place, everybody knows exactly what's going on?

And not only how to get the call right, but then how to make sure that the people watching around the world are getting accurate information as well?

What did you make of the amount of time it took to get reviews done? That has been one of the big questions among observers of video review in MLS.

It didn't bug me that much, to be honest. I don't know if that's because as a football fan in particular, that's not a foreign idea to me, to have a lengthy review of something. Particularly if you're struggling to really get a good look at it.

I also recognize that this is not the finished product. The point of doing it in the Confederations Cup was to keep figuring it out, and getting it better. I'm not as apt to make the immediate conclusions on things. This is going to take time. It's going to be a process. They're going to figure it out. And it's going to be quicker.

And I agree with the larger concept that it's important to make sure that it doesn't drag on too long. Certainly, the way MLS has set it up, if you can't quickly tell that it's a clear and obvious error with the call on the field, then we just play on with what the call on the field was. And I think we're all on the same page with that concept.

The issue where it gets subjective is, how long is too long? I don't mind waiting an extra 30 seconds to make sure we get it right. There was an incident in the Cameroon-Germany game where they got the call right, but then it turns out that in their rushing around, they were giving the red card to the wrong player.

That's where I'm like, let's take an extra 30 seconds here, let's slow down, and let's get it right, to make sure that this issue isn't then something that adversely affects the game. Then, instead of spending 30 seconds in the game to get it right, we're now spending three days afterward complaining about it, debating about it, arguing about it.

This is a question that I have to ask, even though it's kind of impolite. When you get to watch the Champions League and the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup up close, how do you judge the quality of MLS?

No differently than I judged MLS before the Champions League and the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup. It's not perfect, but it's mine. It's my league. And I was so excited to come back to MLS. I was so excited to come back to Atlanta-Orlando [on July 29]. I was so excited to come back to New York City-New York Red Bulls [on August 6]. I had a home game Friday night.

Then I have — no matter how many Champions League finals, no matter how many World Cup finals, no matter how many cool games I get to call — there will never be a game that means more to me, to call, to be around, to be a part of, than a Portland Timbers-Seattle Sounders game. That will never, ever change.

Including U.S. national team games?

Absolutely. Because that's in my blood. That is me, growing up as a fan [in Portland], growing up as a broadcaster [of Timbers games on local radio and TV]. That sense of ownership I have over it, that sense of pride I have.

Because even calling a big national team game, it's not mine exclusively. It's all of ours. For me, I have a greater sense of ownership over being able to sort of promote, and to sell, and to explain the rivalry and these two cities and what it means, because I'm from here.

It's a close second — U.S.-Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, that was a bucket-list thing for me. A World Cup final is climbing Mount Everest. But the point is that I wholeheartedly disagree with the notion that exposure to higher-level, bigger-time international soccer in any way diminishes my love and appreciation for MLS.

What it does do, absolutely, is you see, "OK, how can we close that gap?" And you look at the players that are being signed, and you look at the improving quality, and you go, "OK, this is fun. We are closing that gap."

And again, part of it is just, when we do these other big games, we're very much at arm's length from them. We're there in the stadium, we're calling them, but at a World Cup, you're one of dozens and dozens of broadcasters there. Outside of a press conference, that's it — you basically show up and call it.

When we come in to do a MLS game, we actually get to sit down with the coaches, we get to sit down with the players. We get to actually go inside and be almost solely responsible, certainly from a broadcast standpoint, of telling the story of the game.

That's such an exciting thing to do. It's something that I love. And that's something that will always make calling a MLS game unique. So whatever the respective difference is in quality of play, or the stakes of the game, or whatever else, nothing will ever mean as much to me as being able to sit there, as one of the national voices of MLS, and being able to call to those games.

It might surprise readers to learn that you don't get to call Timbers home games on national TV all that often. There are only three in the regular season this year, including this past Friday's game. There were just two last year, and just three in 2015.

The home games are rare. I'm going to have my brother-in-law and my nephew sitting in the stands underneath me [on Sunday[. They're going to come up to the booth pregame. I don't have to get on an airplane this week. I get to see a lot of my friends. So that's the fun thing. And listen, it's the honest truth. I think it's something that fans maybe don't see unless you're experiencing it.

I listened to a podcast this week with commentators from England sort of making this point. When you're in this job, you love all of it. There's no game you go to that you're not excited for. There's differing degrees, yeah, in the stakes and how significant it is and how bit the global reach is. But if you do this job and you love it, there's no game you could go to that you wouldn't get excited for.

I've been excited about small-school high school state championship games the same way that I get excited showing up at the Champions League final in Cardiff. I think that's an important part of doing this and doing this well. You love every single chance you get to do it, knowing, like I said earlier, how incredibly lucky you are that you get to do this for a job.

What do you see coming in Sunday's Sounders-Timbers game?

One of the interesting dynamics is, over the course of the year, there are so many games — they play each other three times — each game in the course of the season comes at such a different point. So it takes on a different meeting.

Right now, theoretically, what you could be talking about is two teams battling near the top of the Western Conference. As opposed to previous years, where it's been maybe one team fighting for their playoff lives or one team fighting for pride. Which I think is exciting.

The challenge for Seattle right now, is, as good a position as they are at in the standings, making sure that all their weapons are coming online for the stretch run. There's been some great writing recently on Jordan Morris, and maybe the game-winning goal in the Gold Cup final can be a kick-start for him. Continuing this process of how does it work with he, [Nicolás] Lodeiro and [Clint] Dempsey.

For Portland, when they're healthy — when their first 11 is on the field — they're as good as any team in the league. The problem is they struggle to stay healthy, and they struggle to have depth of quality high enough to not let it affect results when injuries do come. So a lot of Portland's standpoint for this game depends on: is [Liam] Ridgewell back, is [Fanendo] Adi back, do they have their best team on the field?

One of the things, though, that I always look forward to about these games is how distinct the home field advantage has been for Seattle historically. Portland has never had success up there. I think they have one win in their last, I mean, dozens and dozens of visits to CenturyLink Field: the first leg of the playoffs in 2013.

I think you have to go back to 2004 — Tom Poltl scored a game-winner up there — for the last time [before that].* There has been such a dramatic, long-held home field advantage for Seattle, that if and when Portland can get a win up there, that will be a lot more significant, I think, than theoretically Seattle getting yet another win over Portland. 

[* — Almost. The Timbers' last regular season win at CenturyLink Field came on April 30, 2005, when both teams played in the league then known as the USL First Division. It was 2-1, and Poltl did score the winning goal, but John was off by a year. There were also two Timbers wins in the building in 2004. Since then, their wins in Seattle have come in the 2005 U.S. Open Cup at the Starfire Sports Complex, and the 2013 playoff game John mentioned.]

Unless, of course, we're talking about first place in the Western Conference, and Lodeiro, Dempsey and Morris have figured this thing out. So that's where it's fun.

The dynamic of the game Sunday feels very different from the dynamic when we did the game in May on the Fox network between the teams (a 1-0 Seattle win at home). That's just how the teams have emerged over the course of the season. And as ever, you're also holding out hope that maybe we get to see these two in the playoffs. Wouldn't that be a lot of fun?

So it's always a game, an atmosphere, everything, that as I said, I look forward to more than anything else on my schedule. The nice thing as well is you get a full week to build to it, so hopefully [Sounders coach] Brian Schmetzer says something, and [Timbers coach] Caleb Porter responds, and the fan groups do something, and you get the spice thrown in the chili to make it a lot of fun.