Smyth was the voice of the MetroStars of Major League Soccer from the team's inception in 1996 to the early 2000s, when his ESPN contract prohibited him from working for the MSG Network.
Smyth was the color commentator for the Philadelphia Union between 2017 and 2021 alongside JP Dellacamera.[1] Previously, he regularly covered ESPN International matches weekly for La Liga, Serie A, the FA Cup, and International matches, and was one of the regular panelist on ESPNSoccernet PressPass which is hosted by Derek Rae. Rae and Smyth also commentated matches from the UEFA Champions League coverage on ESPN networks inside and outside the United States, forming the lead broadcast team on ESPN2, including the final on-location.[2][3] The duo also paired up for their coverage of UEFA Euro 2008 for the early games[4] and 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup[5] before they returned to provide alternate British English coverage on the Amazon Video broadcast of Thursday Night Football in the US since 2017.[6][7] He called three World Cups on television with ESPN, including 2006, where he partnered with Adrian Healey. In 2007, he joined ESPN's MLS broadcast team. He commentated on the UEFA Highlight show on Thursdays and Fridays. He would occasionally be a phone-in guest pundit mostly during the UEFA Champions League campaigns on the CSRN radio program, The 2 G's, sharing his opinion regarding the upcoming matches.
During ESPN's coverage of Euro 2008, Smyth shared commentary duties with Andy Gray and Robbie Mustoe, with Smyth calling the early game and Gray calling the late game.[4] He was the lead color commentator for the 2010 FIFA World Cup on ESPN Radio, pairing up with JP Dellacamera, and he has become an outspoken proponent of instant replay.[8]
Radio host
Smyth cohosts a show with Rodney Marsh called Grumpy Pundits on SiriusXM FC, Channel 157.[9] He is also a "Soccer Management and Scouting" instructor for the online sports-career training school Sports Management Worldwide, founded and run by Dr. Lynn Lashbrook.[10]
Smyth is known for signing off when commentating as "Tommy Smyth... with a Y,"[citation needed] and for his description of a ball flying into the net when a goal is scored as "a bulge in the old onion bag".[11] He also is known for saying "a peach of a goal."[citation needed]