ESPN Parts Ways With Legendary Analyst After 20 Years

Although the FIFA World Cup is only a year away, ESPN is parting ways with one of its top soccer analysts. 

In 2005, ESPN hired Julie Foudy as a women's soccer and FIFA World Cup analyst. The former captain of the U.S. Women’s National Team quickly expanded her role with the network, becoming a reporter and spokesperson for a few events. 

"Foudy serves as one of espnW’s primary voices, providing commentary, reporting and digital features for ESPN’s women-focused brand, including hosting the hit espnW podcast, Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy. She also provides personality-driven features for ESPN studio programs including SportsCenter and Outside the Lines and is the lead game analyst for ESPN’s U.S. National Women’s Team and college soccer coverage," ESPN's bio for Foudy states. 

"Previously, Foudy has served as the lead television voice (studio and game analyst) for ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC’s coverage of the quadrennial FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments in 2007 and 2011. Foudy made her ESPN debut – at the top of her playing career – in a critically acclaimed role as a studio analyst for ESPN and ESPN2’s coverage of the 1998 FIFA World Cup from France." 

Unfortunately for fans of the former USWNT captain, her run with ESPN has come to an end. 

According to Front Office Sports, ESPN failed to reach an agreement on a new contract with Foudy.