Ladies and gentlemen, the time is nigh. eMLS Cup presented by PlayStation is upon us, and as you journey to PAX East (or virtually visit via MLS’s streams on Twitch for a deluge of EA SPORTS FIFA 18 content), we’re giving you the definitive rundown of everything happening throughout this glorious weekend.
The festivities run from Thursday to Sunday, with the "regular season" taking place on Thursday and Friday, the eMLS Cup Playoffs on Saturday, and the Conference Championships and Final on Sunday. From 11 am ET to 4 pm ET on days 1 and 2, the 19 club gamers square off (Live Standings), after which the top eight finishers in each conference move on to the playoffs. The postseason, if you will, features two Saturday rounds of single-elimination before Sunday's one-off Conference Championships set up the eMLS Cup Final, a two-leg series to determine the ultimate champion.
As we begin to separate the best from the rest, let’s take a look at the most compelling preliminary matchups.
GGGodfather (LA) vs. Kid M3Mito (HOU)
This opener looked to be the most intriguing matchup in the West. LA’s Giuseppe Guastella is one of the most experienced competitors in the tournament, no doubt, but Houston’s Memo Trevino is having one very impressive year. Fresh off an Americas Top-15 finish to February, Memo qualified for the FUT Champions Cup tournament to be held later this Spring. This comes the back of qualifying for the FUT Championship Series in Berlin last Fall. Potentially armed with the likes of newcomer Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Player Rating: 88; Rare Gold) and Romain Alessandrini (PR: 78; Gold), Guastella’s squad will boast star power and big-time talent to back it up. While Memo’s team won’t quite have the same name recognition, options like Alberth Elis (PR: 72; Rare Silver) and Romell Quioto (PR: 70; Silver) give him the flexibility of blistering pace. Kid M3Mito ultimately took the match, 3-1.
didychrislito (NYC) vs. PhilB94 (TOR)
Turning to the East, there are a couple potential scorchers on Day One, but late afternoon on Day Two is where things really heat up. NYCFC vs. Toronto FC pits Chris Holly against Philip Balke: two seasoned pros going head-to-head. Both qualified for last year’s FIFA Interactive World Cup championships in London, with Balke finishing fourth in the Xbox division. With a similar playing pedigree to Holly and ties to a rival ownership group (He's a Red Bull athlete), there’s more than a little bit of an element of fierce rivalry brewing in this one. There’s more than a little bit of star power, as well. David Villa (PR: 82; Rare Gold), Maxi Moralez (PR: 72; Rare Silver), and Alexander Ring (PR: 77; Rare Gold), Sebastian Giovinco (PR: 83; Rare Gold), and Michael Bradley (PR: 78; Gold) in this series, which is nothing short of a treat. Each competitor will likely be filling out their squads with players of similar quality, so it will most likely be these MLS reps making the difference on the field.
Also at PAX East
Before the weekend’s playoff rounds kick off, let’s take a look at some of the other PAX East highlights throughout the first couple of days. Alongside diversity and inclusion-oriented events aimed at expanding the social outreach of gaming, such as a trans-visibility roundtable (Thursday, 6:30pm), and data-driven panels on social change (Friday, 12:30pm), there are a slew of offerings that will spark discussion. One of these is a look inside which games belong in the video game canon (Thursday, 5:30pm), as well as a Final Fantasy XV concert performance (8:30pm). If you’ve got strong feelings about the best games of all time, or you just want to vibe with a couple hundred of your fellow PAX-goers and new best friends, you’ll want to check these out.
eMLS Cup Playoffs (April 7-8)
Things really start to get real on Saturday, when the eMLS Cup Playoffs kick off with two matchups from the Eastern Conference at 1 p.m., while the first two sets of competitors from the West will go at it shortly afterwards, at 1:40 p.m.
Conference matchups will rotate through until 4 p.m. with the single elimination matches, setting the stage for Sunday's Conference Championships and eMLS Cup Final.
Only one gamer can be crowned eMLS Cup champion, and on Sunday, April 8th, we’ll find out the inaugural champion of this premier North American eSports event.
Even though Sunday's competition marks the final day of the tournament – and of PAX East – it won’t be the last for the two competitors who make it this far. Each will progress to the next round of the FIFA Global Series Qualifiers, the next step on the road to the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final.
True as that may be, nothing beats bragging rights … except maybe the chance to etch your name into the history books as eMLS Cup’s inaugural conqueror. Whether watching up close and personal from PAX or you’re tuning in from the comfort of your home, this should be must-see stuff for any fan of FIFA, or anyone who finds themselves curious about what competition in the world’s game looks like on the digital stage.
