FIFA 18 – eMLS Cup Preview
AT A GLANCE
When? April 5th-8th 2018
Where? PAX East, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) Boston, Massachusetts
Are tickets still available? http://east.paxsite.com/registration
What channel is it on? The eMLS Cup will not be televised live
Where can I stream the tournament? The eMLS Cup can be streamed from April 7th at 10am PT online via https://www.twitch.tv/paxarena
Can I follow the tournament on Twitter? Updates will be provided on the official Twitter page of MLS. Also be sure to search the hashtag #eMLSCup throughout the four days and follow the players taking part, along with their respective clubs.
THE LOWDOWN
Who will be competing? 19 official MLS teams will have a FIFA player representing them in the tournament. Here is the full list of players taking part and the clubs they are representing:
Chicago Fire – “Jukez”
Colorado Rapids – Connor Buckley
Columbus Crew – Graham “Skamzz” Ellix
FC Dallas – Alan “AlanAvi” Avila
Houston Dynamo – Guillermo “Memo” Trevino
LA Galaxy – Giuseppe “xGGGodfatherx” Guastella
Minnesota United FC – Elias “Pacify X” Baca
Montreal Impact – Lyes “LyesMTL” Ould-Ramoul
New England Revolution – John “JKO1707” Oliveira
New York City FC – Christopher “NYC_Chris” Holly
New York Red Bulls – Mike LaBelle
Orlando City SC – Abraham Valbuena
Philadelphia Union – Cormac “Doolsta” Dooley
Portland Timbers – Edgar Guerrero
San Jose Earthquakes – Alan “CaliSCG” Ortega
Seattle Sounders – Jason “Flickify” Flick
Sporting Kansas City – Alex “Alekzandur” Betancourt
Toronto FC – Phil Balke
Vancouver Whitecaps – Erfan “SkillShack” Hosseini
Tournament format and schedule:
The format of the eMLS Cup will take the same shape as a regular MLS season. The teams will be divided into two conferences (Eastern and Western).
April 5-6th - Each team will play one another twice in their respective conference. The top eight teams from each conference advance to the weekend playoffs.
April 7th – The Western and Eastern conference playoffs will take place, with the winners advancing to the conference finals.
April 8th – The final day of competition sees the conference finals take place, leading to the third place match and ultimately the eMLS Cup grand final.
Are there rules regarding what teams/players can be used for the tournament?
While each player can build and use their own Ultimate Team in the tournament, the key rule is that each competitor has to include at least three MLS players in their team, including two players from the MLS club that they represent.
What prizes are up for grabs?
The last two players standing will each qualify for the EA Sports FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs, where they will compete in an attempt to qualify for the FIFA eWorld Cup Finals this coming August. The winner will take home a cash prize of $10,000 and the eMLS Cup trophy.
Who are the players to watch?
There will be plenty of talent on show in Boston this weekend for the eMLS Cup. One of the headliners at the tournament will be LA Galaxy’s Giuseppe Guastella, who is a five-time FIFA eWorld Cup finalist veteran. He is boosted by the club’s recent signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic who he will undoubtedly select in his squad.
Montreal Impact’s representative, Lyes Ould-Ramoul, also has excellent pedigree having finished fourth in the 2015 FIFA eWorld Cup and he will surely be competing at the business end of the tournament.
Look out for talented youngster Erfan Hosseini, aka Skill Shack, who will be wearing the colours of the Vancouver Whitecaps. The 17-year-old is the youngest player in the tournament, but do not underestimate the quality of the Irainian-born star who could well spring an upset or two.
