ESPN — and Winter Weather ⎯ Descend on Kansas City for 2013 MLS Cup

With below-freezing temperatures expected this weekend in Kansas City, Sporting KC fans may have to don a few extra layers to watch their team compete for MLS Cup 2013. But the chance to watch their team clinch the championship on home turf will be well worth the potential for frostbite.

Standing in their way will be Real Salt Lake, which finished the season with 56 points (Sporting KC finished with 58). After finishing the regular season in second place in their respective conferences, Sporting KC and Real Salt Lake take the pitch at Sporting Park in Kansas City, KS, at 4 p.m. ET Saturday.

With its live presentation of MLS Cup 2013, ESPN concludes its 18th season of televising Major League Soccer. More than 80 individuals will be on-site to ensure that the game is covered from every angle, with some heading to Kansas City as early as Thursday morning to prepare.

ESPN will operate out of MIRA Mobile’s M11 A&B units, using seven EVS servers, two DVC pro decks, and the ESPN advanced-replay-technology system to record the game and play back highlights. The network plans to deploy seven hard cameras, nine handheld cameras, two All Mobile Video POV cameras, and a jib. Two cameras will be used to cover the pre-, half-, and post-game shows from an on-site studio set. To capture the sounds of the game, ESPN will deploy an array of field, announcer, and effects microphones throughout the stadium.

Commentator Adrian Healey, analyst Taylor Twellman, and reporter Mónica Gónzalez will call the action with host Max Bretos, Alexi Lalas, Kasey Keller, and Alejandro Moreno providing studio coverage. In all, ESPN will have 12 commentators, including Kenneth Garay, Elmer Polanco, Diego Cora, Richard Mendez, and Giovanni Savarese for ESPN Deportes.

Additionally, the match will be available on WatchESPN. ESPN International will televise the match on ESPN networks in 59 countries and territories — including Australia, Brazil, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, New Zealand, and South America — covering more than 22 million television homes.