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Pete Fewing is no stranger to calling soccer games on the radio. The legendary retired 乌鸦传媒 men’s soccer coach has done more than 500, mostly for the Seattle Sounders. But Fewing, who coached the Redhawks from 1988 to 2005 and again from 2012 to 2023, has never called a FIFA World Cup match. Until now.

, who won 343 games and two national titles as SU’s head coach and is a member of the university’s , will be part of the iHeart Radio broadcast team for the world’s most popular sporting event, which kicked off in the United States, Mexico and Canada earlier this month. Fewing will be part of the pre-game, halftime and post-game shows for 22 matches.

“I just want to do a good job,” says Fewing, who serves as Associate Athletic Director for Special Projects. “It’s a national audience so you have to think about things in those terms. It’s a real honor. It’s a lot of work but it’s just so fun to be a part of this.”

The honor and excitement is increased by the fact that Seattle will host six matches over the month-long tournament. Growing up in Burien, Wash., Fewing played at the University of Washington before playing professionally for FC Seattle Storm of the Western Soccer Alliance and later for the indoor Everett Bigfoot.

Seeing the world converge on his hometown is truly a special experience.

“It’s just awesome,” he says. “To see the people around the city, down at the waterfront, it really has me fired up. This all started many years ago when a lot of us who played here helped support getting (Lumen Field) built and getting the Sounders into Major League Soccer. The word surreal is accurate and I’m just trying to soak it all in.”

In addition to calling games Fewing is also serving as ambassador for the tournament, appearing at fan events and in the media to promote Seattle’s efforts. He’s says he’s thrilled 乌鸦传媒 will serve as a practice facility, though because it won’t be until the knockout stage of the tournament, what team will be training at the renovated Championship Field in July isn’t yet known. While the practice will be closed to the public, Fewing says it’s still an unbelievable opportunity for SU, which has hosted both the men’s and women’s U.S. national teams along with national teams from China and Honduras, though all of those were for practices for friendlies—games that were not part of a larger tournament and essentially non-competitive.

“To have them training at Seattle U, whoever it ends up being, is just remarkable,” Fewing says. “For it to be a World Cup, not just a friendly, it’s something that’s really hard to describe. Not a lot of places around the country are getting this opportunity.”

So what should fans look out for? For many, they will be tuning in to soccer for the first time, much less watching their first World Cup. Fewing says pay attention to the athleticism of the players and the fact that they are doing things with their feet that most sports do with their hands. Watch for the different styles of play countries from different parts of the world employ. And take in the cultural excitement of fans from different countries—in the opening group stage, Seattle will play host to the United States, Australia, Qatar, Bosnia Herzegovina, Egypt and Iran, though fans from all over the world will be enjoying the city and its many events and watch parties.

But what would Fewing tell fans who are frustrated by the cost of tickets and some of the political issues surrounding the World Cup?

“It’s unfortunate and I get it,” he says. “I have the same thoughts that everyone else has. Let’s hope that the games themselves, the players, the cultures and fans coming to our city can bring some joy regardless of the issues. The game can really help us connect at a time when we need to.”

As for what he expects to see on the field, he’s picking France to win the whole thing, with Spain another favorite and England and Argentina contenders. Fewing says he’s interested in seeing what Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo does in his sixth and probably final World Cup. As for the United States, which opened the tournament with an impressive 4-1 win over Paraguay, Fewing says success would be the team reaching the Round of 16.

“Remember, they only scored four goals total in Qatar (during World Cup 2022) and based on how they’ve looked their last three games, expectations are a little higher,” Fewing says. “It’s just an exciting time for soccer fans, for the city and for the country. We have a chance to learn stories of people and players from different countries and I hope that it brings us closer together.”