ISSUE001JUNE 2018

eDivisie Fnatic
Showing the Gfinity elite
way forward series winners

eMLS CUP CHAMPION

GUILLERMO
‘KID M3MITO’ TREVIÑO
 LETTER
FROM THE

2 Esports World Football

EDITOR
 Publisher
Justin Lawson
justinlawson@blackknightmedialtd.com
Tel: +44 (0)203 750 6028
Twitter: @esportsWorldFC
Watching competitive FIFA and esports is now a thing. Yes, it has many
sceptics, but then back in the 1800s I’m sure there were plenty of people
commenting on how kicking around a leather ball on a field wouldn’t take
Editor
off and just look how far it has come. Chris Lafferty
chrislafferty@blackknightmedialtd.com
As with many new ventures the success usually comes down to one thing, Tel: +44 (0)203 750 6024
do you have an audience for your product. You only have to look at the
Twitter: @esportsWorldFC1
viewing figures for eDivisie matches in the Netherlands to tell you that
there is. The edivisie received more than 15 million views, with around
50,000 views per match. Website and magazine designer
Steven Lafferty
Following the successes of eDivisie we interviewed Marc Rondagh who
design@blackknightmedialtd.com
gave us an insight into the success and how he sees esports going forward.
The Netherlands are really leading the way and we are sure it won’t be long
Tel: +44 (0)7843 811 240
before every professional team have their very own esports player. Twitter: @esportsWorldFC2

Also in this issue we talk to our cover star, Guillermo ‘Kid M3mito’ Trevino. www.esportsworldfootball.com
The Houston Dynamo player became the first to win the eMLS Cup and he
tells us what it takes to make it as a pro player.

www.esportsworldfootball.com 3
12 Fnatic
Gfinity elite series winners
Esports World Football talks to Gfinity elite series
winners Zimme and Rannerz from team Fnatic
COVER STORY
18
On the spot
Esports World Football caught up with Kid M3mito, the high scoring goal
machine, who went the entire competition undefeated

NEWS
6
News round-up
Get all the latest news from the world of FIFA

INTERVIEWS
10
eDivisie showing the way forward
The launch of eDivisie in February 2017 was a huge success. Esports World
Football speaks with Marc Rondag to find out more

20Alan “CaliSCG” Ortega - San Jose Earthquakes

Chris Lafferty of Esports World Football talks to Alan “CaliSCG” Ortega and
finds out what it takes to be a pro

22An interview with Adam Ryan of Aerox Esports

Adam Ryan a future star in the making has just qualified for his first
tournament and shares his recent experiences with Esports World Football

24Emerging markets
Justin Lawson of Esports World Football speaks with Tom Smith, managing
director of Global eSport Resources (GER)

26An interview with the champs

Dutch Predators manager Addidas-10 talks about the team founded by
Dennis Slotboom and their current success

28An unusual interview

English League 2 North VPG team Unusuals FC talks formations, players
and how to develop the VPG

30An interview with the U’s

Damon Graham, director of VPG team Oxford United eSports discusses
their teams performance and future plans

TOURNAMENTS
14
Global Series Playoff round up
Over 20 million took part, but only the top 128 FIFA players made it through
to the EA Sports Global Series Playoffs in Amsterdam
 MSDossary goes Rogue
Reigning FUT Champion Mosaad ‘MSDossary’ Aldossary signs for
Team Rogue.
Having qualified for the Global Series Playoffs earlier this year by winning
FUT Champions Cup, MSDossary very recently decided to leave the
Falcons Esports team adding “Today is the end of my relationship with
@FalconsEsport I would like to thank them for everything and it was an
honour being part of this team.
I wish them all the best in the future.
In a move not seen by many George Hughes, social media manager
Gorilla leaves Unilad
Spencer “Gorilla” Ealing has left Unilad to join FazeClan.
Seen by many to be the World’s best FIFA player Gorilla has
dominated the competitive gaming scene over the last three years
both online and in live events. Gorilla has amassed numerous
Gfinity events wins and finished last year as the FIFA Interactive
World Cup 2017 Champion.
FIFA eWorld Cup Grand
Final 2018 will take place
in London
Following the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series playoffs which
took place in Amsterdam thirty-two gamers will remain to face
off against each other in London and decide this year’s eWorld
Cup Champion.
EA and FIFA reported that more than 20 million have competed in the
EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series.
Speaking about FIFA’s partnership with EA FIFA’s Chief Commercial
Officer Philippe Le Floc’h said: “Our partnership with EA has elevated
of Hashtag Utd tweeted “Did not expect this Dossary!!@ Sick team to
sign for, congrats!”
Jamie O’Doherty aka FUTWIZ Jamie added “Congratulations Champ
all the best”
A very popular player on the FIFA scene moving to one of the
largest teams in esports. Commenting on his joining Going Rogue
added “Let’s give a warm welcome to reigning FUT Champion
Mosaad ‘MSDossary’ Aldossary! He looks to continue to dominate
this Monday at the @FIFAeWorldCup Global Series playoffs in
Amsterdam.”
Commenting on Twitter Gorilla added “It’s happened! So excited to
announce that I have joined @FaZeClan Honestly a dream come
true, to be representing the best team & to be side by side with @
FaZeTass.
The final step in my career and I can’t wait to get started, BIG things
to come! #FaZeUP”
competitive FIFA gaming into a worldwide phenomenon that
combines the power of football with the spectacle of entertainment
in astounding ways. Of course, 2018 is a landmark year for global
football with the FIFA World Cup taking place in Russia and a
landmark year for competitive gaming ending fittingly at the FIFA
eWorld Cup 2018 London, one of the most historic football cities in
the world.”
SVP and GM of EA Competitive Gaming Todd Sitrin said: “The
FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final 2018 will be a signature moment for
competitive FIFA after a season-long journey that has engaged
millions of players and spectators. In partnership with FIFA, we
accelerated the growth of competitive gaming through the EA
SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series, rallying the global football community
together within this singular ecosystem.”
Fuchs launches
NFG eSports
Austrian International and Premier League winning Leicester City footballer
Christian Fuchs has launched an esports team No Fuchs Given Ltd (NFG).
The team has signed a number of professional FIFA gamers to
represent the team around the World in tournaments. With plans also
to move into other esports at a later date.
The first player to be signed by the team was the Singaporean self
declared craziest motherfucher in Asia, Chiang ‘Hibidi’ Wen Jun who
is known for slightly risky tweets such as the recent “Heading to
Beijing next week for the inaugural FIFA Online 4 eWorld Cup, any of
you white boys wanna give this a go?”
A challenge meant with humour and not malice.
Other members joining the team included LouFIFA commenting
“Delighted to be part of @NFG_esports as a part of the first ever esports
team set up by an individual footballer. Your boy LouFIFA is finally pro”
Another player also joining is Remdog who adds “Looking forward to
grinding FIFA 19 and pushing for spots at all events”
Rusher_7 states that he cannot wait to get going and he is looking
forward to teaming up.
This move follows Ruud Gullit who has developed his own team and
recruited a crop of gamers to represent Team Gullit.
To rage quit or not to
rage quit
Two time FIFA eWorld Cup champion, Ethan ‘DrErhano’ Kayman rage
quit on main stage at FIFA eWorld Cup in Amsterdam this weekend.
Is rage quitting the problem or is there a deeper issue risking
damaging the game that so many million people love playing. FIFA
is on the cusp of something great, prize money is growing, viewing
figures are growing, leagues are growing but so too is frustration at
the game play.
It is rare to see a top level player rage quit at such a prestigious
tournament especially when trailing on aggregate by only two goals.
Was he making a point that needs to be made?
Having a player sent off early on and struggling to get into the game
with his opponent utilising negative tactics, but still tactics none the
less. Where does everyone stand on this.
Tournament rules saw him disqualified from the remainder of
the event however, @Kurt0411Fifa shared his viewpoint on this
incident “Regarding @DrErhan’s situation: Once again instead of
people talking about what happened in the game and how easy
it is to time waste they talk about a “ragequit” which caused no
one any issues. This is why it will be my obligation to raise hell
in London”
Yevhen Mostovyk a preofessional FIFA player from the Ukraine
added “Feel sorry for @DrErhano. Time wasting must be prohibited,
especially on World Cup level. Shit.”
Krasimir Ivanov who goes by Krasi again backs up the point on time
wasting being a problem in the game “2 weeks ago we saw a player
rage quit the stage because of the kick off glitch. Today another one
did the same bc of time playing. When I participated in events a few
years ago time playing was banned”
There were some comments criticising the rage quit but the large
majority seem to empathise with DrErhan and his frustrations at the
time wasting. Will we see EA Sports or FIFA do anything about this
moving forwards?
 EA SPORTS™ reveal FIFA 19
release date
The most prestigious club competition has arrived on FIFA 19. The
legendary tournament has been woven into every mode in FIFA 19
giving the player the ultimate Champions league experience. Play
the famous competition from the group stage to the final at the The
Wanda Metroplitano Stadium in Madrid. You will also be able to build
your dream squad with live UEFA Champions League and Europa
League content updates in FIFA 19 Ultimate Team.
Ronaldo returns as the cover star for FIFA 19 and he will be joined
by Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr for the Champions and Ultimate
Edition covers.
As well as European football FIFA 19 also has a number of new tricks
up its sleeve
Active Touch System
This new system fundamentally changes the way you receive and
strike the ball, enabling closer control, improved fluidity in movement,
more creativity, and increased player personality when. First touch
gets an overhaul with new tools such as the disguised touch, flick-up
volleys, or even skill specific animations like the Neymar Trap, so that
you can stay one touch ahead of your opponent and create scoring
chances.
Dynamic Tactics
The reimagined tactical system gives players the tools to set multiple
tactical approaches, deeper pre-match customization, and new
Definitely not overrated
FIFA 18’s World Cup mode is available to download for free and it
includes four new Icons.
Former England striker and England legend Gary Lineker has reacted
to his FIFA Ultimate Team Icon card on twitter using the word
overrated. We and many others disagree and we can only put it down
to modesty.
The former Spurs player now rates higher than Ronaldinho, Sergio
Ramos, David De Gea and Luis Suarez to name a few.
options for in-match adjustments. Each tactical approach combines
formations, mentalities, and attacking and defensive play styles so
that you can easily customize your play in any situation.
50/50 Battles
User reactions and player attributes determine the outcome of loose ball
duels across the pitch. Thanks to increased teammate intelligence and
spatial awareness, every challenge matters in the fight for possession.
Timed Finishing
Get another level of control over every shot with the Timed Finishing
system, which puts user in charge of how accurately they connect
with the ball. Trigger a timed finish by double tapping the “shoot”
button when attempting a strike. The precision and timing of the
second button tap determines the result of the contact; perfectly
timed strikes increase a shot’s accuracy and power, while poorly
timed contacts make the shot more likely to miss the mark. Whether
it’s a hit from outside the box, a precision header, or a deft touch,
timed finishing adds a higher layer of control to finishing in FIFA 19.
Real Player Motion Technology
The game-changing animation system, which brought enhanced
player personality and movement fidelity to EA SPORTS FIFA, is back
with increased coverage of the entire pitch. Enhanced animations
for tactical shielding, impact balancing, and physical jostling take
realistic player movement, responsiveness, and personality to
unbelievable heights.
The footballer now TV pundit is mixing it with some more than
decent company, but let us not forget the player he was in his heyday.
No English player has scored more World Cup goals than the Leicester
born poacher. Lineker scored 48 goals in 80 appearances for England
winning the golden boot in the 1986 World Cup. Big players delivery on
the biggest stage in the biggest games and who could forget that goal
against Germany to take the 1990 Semi-final into extra time.
England Icon, Yes. World Cup Icon, yes.
Brondby win FIFA eClub
World Cup
Brøndby win FIFA eClub World Cup in Paris after seeing off some stiff
opposition.
The tournament that took place in May was stacked with some of
the top teams and players from around the world. UNILAD and PSG
eSports went into the tournament hotly tipped to go far, but after
poor starts neither was able to make it out of the group stages.
While other teams impressed throughout the competition it was
Brøndby and TEAM ENVY who peaked at the right time and paved
their way to the final, after some impressive semi-final performances.
The first leg of the final saw ‘Eisvogel’ take on ‘Fredberg on
PlayStation and after taking the lead ‘Eisvogel’ then added another
Manchester City big in China
Manchester City, the current Premier League Champions, have
become the first Premier League club to launch a FIFA Online team
in China.
The team will play in the competitive Online Star League (FSL) which
kicks off a new season on 15 June 2018.
The team will consist of five players, including Zhang Jun, last
season’s Most Valuable Player, as well as Aruya and Liu Chao, who
have both excelled in the FSL over the past two seasons.
The team was unveiled recently at an exclusive launch event held at
the Star Alliance Esports Center in Beijing, which was attended by
representatives from Manchester City, Tencent, and the Chairman of
the Association for Chinese Esports (ACE), Xu Ye.
At this launch it was revealed that the remaining two spaces on
Manchester City’s all-new FIFA Online team would be filled by
Manchester City supporters, who will earn their place by taking part
in a nationwide competition.
Commenting on the team, David Tang, Regional Director of China at
Manchester City said: “We are delighted to enter the exciting world of
gaming in China, the biggest market in the world for esports.
three goals to his tally putting ‘Fredberg’ and Brøndby in a precarious
position in the final.
Before the final whistle, ‘Fredberg’ was able to pull one back giving
his teammate ‘Fifaustun less of a mountain to climb going into the
second leg of the final.
With the final looking out of reach for Brøndby ‘Fifaustun’ put on an
absolute masterclass against ‘Aero’. After pulling back the three
goals needed to draw level, ‘Fifaustun then added another three goals
to his tally before sailing to victory with a 6-0 win, giving the Danish
team their second eClub World Cup win in as many years.
With the tournament in its second year, Brøndby remains the sole victor.
“Our new FIFA Online team comes in addition to our dedicated
esports players at Manchester City, as well as at our sister clubs New
York City and Melbourne City, highlighting Manchester City’s and
the wider City Football Group’s commitment to both esports and our
growing fanbase in China.
“We are looking forward to watching the team play in the FSL as
they strive to become Champions and add to the success we have
enjoyed on the pitch this season.”
Tencent Executive Shulun Gao added: “It’s great to see Manchester
City’s commitment to esports grow with their entry into the Chinese
gaming market. Manchester City have already made a significant
contribution to the esports industry.
“They were one of the first Premier League clubs to sign a
professional esports player and the digital content and fan
experiences they have created since then have been unparalleled.
“FIFA Online is incredibly popular across
China, and it is an exciting prospect for us
to have an esports team in China, which
supporters can identify with the reigning
Premier League Champions. The new season
starts very soon, and we cannot wait to see
what the future holds for FIFA Online.”
 a rd
s
i wi e y f o rw

D i v t h e
a
e ino w
g
Sh

BY JUSTIN LAWSON

The launch of eDivisie in February 2017 was a huge success.

EsportsWorldFootball speaks with Marc Rondagh, business
development manager at the Dutch premier league Eredivisie, to find
out more

Tell us a bit more about the process behind

the eDivisie getting involved with esports?

It was a struggle! To bring together so many organisations and create

a format to keep all happy was certainly challenging.

Every three years the Eredivisie, senior directors and representatives

from member clubs go on a field trip, the purpose of which is to get
 MARC RONDAGH, EDIVISIE

together and throw ideas around to come up with innovative ways
to keep the Eredivisie relevant and at the forefront competing with
other leagues across Europe. Dutch football has a good history and
hopefully it will have a good future. It was on one such trip in 2015
where we went to Silicon Valley in the US and experienced our first
taste of esports and saw its potential.
Although much of the planning was undertaken in 2016 the eDivisie
was launched in association with the 18 Eredivisie clubs, EA SPORTS
and Endemol Shine Nederland in February 2017.
The eDivisie is a unique platform for the Eredivisie and Eredivisie clubs
to reach youngsters and increase the involvement of existing fans in
their club.
We see the eDivisie as an extension to the existing range of football
we offer, in which we can focus even more on young people. For the
clubs it is a fantastic platform for increasing the fans’ involvement
and jointly generating new content. Moreover, in time the eDivisie will
create an even greater experience of
Eredivisie football in a stadium.
Can you tell us a bit more
about the format?
Originally the teams only needed to secure one gamer to be involved
but some clubs now have more. FC Twente for example have 4 gamers
and some have technical management teams creating research on
competitors in advance of matches.
We now have teams developing their recruitment or players and even
loaning players out. Ajax is looking to attract young football fans
worldwide with the help of esports they recently recruited American
FIFA pro Joey Calabro and have also this month announced that
Bob Van Uden will play the rest of the season for the Japanese club
Sagan Tosu.
We hear matches are shown on FOX Sports,
how did that come about and what are the
viewing figures like at present?
FOX Sports owned the rights to the Eredivisie until 2025 so when we
created the eDivisie EndemolShine Group agreed to produce a pilot
which proved really successful and now
we have a regular show taking place on
FOX Sports.
In season one we anticipated matches

We have designed the eDivisie to play

parallel to the games the Eredivisie
teams play during the season, so for
the first half of the season the teams
compete on PS4 creating a winner. So
“This is the would get about 2,000 views however
they ended up getting an average of
Holy Grail for all over 30,000 a game and some games
as many as 200,000 viewing.
gamers involved We are coming to the end of the second

in FIFA”
if Ajax was playing FC Twente on the season now and have average viewing
weekend we would have the eDivisie figures of 50,000 per game which is
fixture during the week before. This big enough to fill the biggest stadium
gives more football coverage across in the Netherlands: Amsterdam ArenA
the week expanding the time that the soon to be called the “Johan Cruijff
Eredivisie is relevant and bridging the ArenA”.
gap between the virtual and the real
football for the teams.
Do you have both league and cup competitions?
The second half of the season is then played on Xbox and at the end of
the season both winners meet each other where they play one game Currently we just operate the league as described. That is not to say
on the Xbox and one game on the PS4 to get an aggregate overall we will not look towards cup competitions or special tournaments at
winner. This year the final is on May 11. some stage.

Both the Xbox winner and the PS4 winner get through to the playoff
towards the FIFA eWorld Cup held in August.
This is the Holy Grail for all gamers involved in FIFA.
Have all the Eredivisie teams created esports
teams?
The structure of the eDivisie is unique in that all 18 esports players are
officially part of the Eredivisie clubs.
Can you share any of your plans for the future?
We want to keep on engaging with young fans and introducing them to
both electronic football and real football and one of the ways we are
going to do this is through a ‘Fans Cup’.
This will start next season and every club will run tournaments to find
their number one gaming fan with each of the clubs putting forwards a
fan to compete in a Cup competition. None of their existing contracted
players can enter this. EWF

www.esportsworldfootball.com Esports World Football 11

FNATIC

impressive performances throughout the tournament, he went on

to beat UNILAD’s Tass in his leg of the final, which also earnt him a
place in the Global Series Playoff’s in Amsterdam. This fete is all the
more impressive after ‘Rannerz’ revealed to Esports World Football
that he didn’t even own a copy of FIFA 15, OR 16.

The performances didn’t go unnoticed as ‘Rannerz’ was delighted to

re-signed with RomaFnatic: “To me, Roma is much more than just a
team to play for. Their passion, values and goals stand side-by-side
with mine.

A future here is exactly what I envisioned and hopefully we can

continue our recent success as a team. The team has the best of
both worlds. A great football club in Roma joined by one of the
largest esports organizations in Fnatic.”

With the tournament win under his belt looking to the future

Rannerz
‘Rannerz’ said: “My short term goal at the moment is to qualify for
the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Finals, but my main goal in the future
is to win a major.”

With his family and friends impressed and very happy at his success
his advice for youngsters who wanted to follow in his footsteps was
to try your best to qualify for EA events via FUT Champs to have the
best chance of getting signed.

The Gfinity title winner will continue to represent both

In what he described as the best moment of his organisations, with his team mates, in FIFA tournaments around
career so far Conran ‘Rannerz’ Tobin was part of the the world, beginning with the FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs in
RomaFnatic team that recently beat UNILAD in the Amsterdam on May 26.
final of the Gfinity elite series.

Speaking to Esports World Football, ‘Rannerz’, the pro FIFA player

from Limerick Ireland, who is studying financial maths in UL said:
“Playing in the Gfintiy elite series was an Incredible experience, from
the production to playing the games, everything was just done so
well. With the added fun of a live audience and prize money on the
line it was just an incredible experience.”

With a style of play that is a mix of possession or direct play,

depending on situation, ‘Rannerz’ put on an outstanding display in the
final. “I was in disbelief at first followed by a tremendous amount of
excitement to win it, especially as we went into the final as underdogs.”

“I played a countless amount of pro vs pro games in preparation for

the tournament and it paid off.”

‘Rannerz’ said that he didn’t consider getting into the barber’s chair Rannerz and
like team mate Zimme to get the famous R9 haircut. “Nope, can’t be Zimme lift
the Gfinity Se
seen with that haircut at work!”
ries
After finishing in the top 32 in Barcelona ‘Rannerz’ was drafted in
2018 trophy
by RomaFnatic for the Gfinity Elite Series. With some

12 Esports World Football

 BY CHRIS LAFFERTY

Having recently been named an inaugural member of

Sweden’s national FIFA team Esports World Football
caught up with the high flying Swede who formed part
of the winning duo that took the Gfinity Elite Series
crown in London earlier this year.

But before we talked about FIFA, first things first, had the hair
grown back yet? “The hair is starting to grow back, it doesn’t
seem like an R9 haircut anymore though which is sad.” Said
Simon ‘Zimme’ Nystedt, who promised his Twitter followers that
he would get the famous R9 haircut if he and team mate Conner
‘Rannerz’ Tobin won the Gfinity Elite Series.

The Swede who recently won the FIFA All Stars Cup in Lisbon
explained how he has been playing FIFA for approximately 10
years, yet it has been only the past 4 years that he has played it
more seriously.

Zimme
“I started searching on the internet for online tournaments that I could
participate in. Then I found the Swedish Championship in FIFA. I
competed in it and it went really well. Then it just started off from there.”

Having proven himself as a player on the competitive FIFA scene he

contacted Roma/Fnatic and asked if they needed a new addition to
the team, they said yes, and he became part of one of the leading
teams in FIFA esports.
With an attacking style of play ‘Zimme’ put in some outstanding
performances on his way to winning the Gfinity Elite Series with
team mate ‘Rannerz’. The Semi-Final against ‘Eisvogel’ was an epic
match that had everything.
“It was so intense to play, I couldn’t believe it when I scored the
equaliser in the 90th minute to take it to extra time, and then
the equaliser yet again in the 120th minute this time to take it to
penalties. That game was the best competitive game I’ve ever
played I think.”

Having beat ‘Eisvogel’ in the Semi-Final ‘Zimme’ went on to take

another major scalp in the final in ‘Shellzz’

“I felt that I took my chances and that everything went my way that
night. I was so confident before the final so I knew before that I was
going to win.

“It felt amazing to win the whole series, especially because it had
been a long time since I had won a tournament and to finally stand
there as a champion was so nice.”

The FIFA eWorld Cup is coming up and here at Esports World

true to his
Football we wanted to know if there was a particular haircut he would

Z imm e s ta y s treat his fans to if he were to go all the way and win it.
the
word and gets “If I go on and win the world cup I would do any kind of haircut

R9 haircut actually, so I’ll probably put a tweet out where my followers could
vote on haircuts to do, haha.” EWF

www.esportsworldfootball.com 13
GLOBAL SERIES PLAYOFF ROUND UP

BY CHRIS LAFFERTY

At the start of the competition over 20 million took

Global Series
part, but only the top 128 FIFA players made it
through to the EA Sports Global Series Playoffs in
Amsterdam. 64 Xbox players and 64 PlayStation 4

Only the best qualified and with so many familiar faces descending on
the Dutch city it was fair to say that these playoff were stacked. There
Playoffs round-up
were going to be losers, there were going to winners and there were going
to be plenty of upsets along the way, as the crème of the crème fought it
out to reach the ultimate goal of London and the FIFA eWorld Cup.

The Playoffs began with the Swiss format and would see 128 Xbox
and PlayStation 4 players whittled down to 64, with the magic
number of 4 wins needed to progress to the next stage.

Survival Day (Xbox)

Xbox One was up first and by the end of the first day, which was
dubbed ‘Survival Day’, ‘Gorilla’ and ‘Msdossary’ both booked their
places in the last 32 having both impressively notched up a 5 win
undefeated streak.

‘Msdossary’ looked to have carried his form over from his recent FUT
Champions Cup win. The Saudi Arabian looked like the main man
to beat with a 6-0 aggregate thrashing of M Mino, but Gorilla looked
just as impressive, especially went he went up against Kurt0411 and
claimed victory with a 6-3, maintaining his unbeaten record for the day.

et as
Semi-final ups
s out
Rafsou knock
e Gorilla
favourite FaZ

While none of the favourites were knocked out of the

tournament on the first day the amount of talent on display
suggested that there would be plenty of upsets over the 3 days
of competition.

Qualification Day (Xbox)

Having jostled for a decent position in order to make it to the 4

games needed to make the last 32, Qualification day would see who
Home Favour
ite Ajax Dani would be going through to the knockout stages of the tournament.
went out to M There were plenty of surprise eliminations, including Hashtag Ryan’s
egabit in the close defeat to Fabio Denuzzo and Kid M3mito’s drubbing at the
semi-final hands of Sakul in the final match of the day. F2Tekkz, the Barcelona
champion was definitely one to watch at the start of the playoffs, but

14 Esports World Football

 winner. Having made it through to the FIFA eWorld Cup Final, players
would also be playing for seeding for the finals in London, as the last
16 became 8 before being whittled down to the last 4.

Semi-finals (Xbox)

‘Rafsou’ Vs ‘FaZe Gorilla’

Rafsou took on and beat yet another of the world’s best in ‘FaZe
Gorilla’ to make it into the final of the Global Series Playoffs Final.
In what was a tight first half ‘Rafsou’ took the lead towards the end
of it and was able to keep his nose in front over the two legs. A late
flurry by ‘Gorilla’ brought the game back to 5-4 on aggregate before
‘Rafsou killed the game in the final minutes to take the score and
the match 6-4.

‘Megabit’ Vs ‘Ajax Dani’

Megabit took an early 4-1 lead into the second leg, but it was ‘Ajax
Dani’ who got an early goal to get himself back in the game before
Megabit went onto take an unassailable 7-2 lead into the second half
of the second leg. ‘Ajax Dani’ went all out for goals in the second half,
but it was too little too late with game finishing 8-3 to Megabit.

Final (Xbox)

‘Megabit’ Vs ‘Rafsou’
The final was set Germany Vs France. Neither players had many
chances and it was a penalty conceded by ‘Rafsou’ that gave
Megabit the chance to take the lead and soon after scoring the
penalty Megabit doubled his lead with a well taken goal. ‘Rafsou’

Dark horse R
afsou made
it all the way
to the final
losing to Mega
bit

was unable to make the last 32 with the chance of progressing to the
London and the eWorld Cup.

Having played their way to a place in the last 32 the following players
went on to win their Round of 32 match and secure a place in the Grand
Final: MSDossary, Hashtag DreamR, ICHOR Resende7, Rafsou, NRaseck7,
Crafty, FaZe Gorilla, GoalMachine21, AeroFIFA, AFC Ajax Dani, JSSF107,

or there
Kurt0411, SKC Alekzandur, Fabio Denuzzo, MegaBit, and Sakul.

Always there
Decision Day (Xbox) it finally
abouts Megab
final
The final day of the FIFA Global Series Playoffs Xbox saw the final 16
competitors go up against each other in order to crown an eventual
wins a major

www.esportsworldfootball.com 15
 Survival Day (PS4)

Following on from the Xbox One players it was now the PlayStation
4 players chance to turn on the style. Starting with the Swiss
format, once again, 64 players would be reduced to 32, who would
then be drawn and pitted against each other in a two legged
knockout game with the last 16 winning the ultimate prize of
qualification to the eWorld Cup Grand Final and a chance to win the
Global Series playoffs.

Nicholas99FC
was one step
too far for Stefa
nopinna in
the semi-final
went on the offensive looking for goals and he was able to level the
score, but it was Megabit who took the first leg 3-2 with an
88th minute goal. Megabit drew first blood in the first half of the
second leg and when he added another goal to his tally Megabit
took control of the game. Having come so far ‘Rafsou pulled back
a couple of goals to take the game to 5-4 going into the final half of
the second leg. In a tense final half Megabit restored his two goal
lead and with another goal in the dying minutes Megabit took the
Global Series Playoffs final.
Once again it was survival day with 4 being the magic number
to progress to the next stage. Lose 4 and you were on your way
home. Two players dominated on the first day for the PlayStation
competitors. ‘Nicolas99FC’ who beat fellow Argentinian
‘Diegog1996’ 9-0. The Spaniard ‘Jra Lion’ also impressed with
five wins.
New York City FC player NYC_Chris failed to win a single game.
Having impressed in the FUT Champions Cup in Barcelona many
were shocked that the New York City player was eliminated on the
first day without a win to his name.
VfB Stuttgart star ‘VfB DrErhano’ also made an early exit from the
competition far sooner than anyone expected.
As two big names fell at the first hurdle other big players also found
themselves in a precarious position on survival day with serveral pros
going into the second day 2-3.
Former FIFA Interactive World Cup champion Hashtag Agge being
one of those big name players who had found himself on the wrong
end of needing four wins to progress going into the second day.

Qualification Day (PS4)

There were 16 Global Series Playoff scarves up for grabs today

and a chance to get that all important spot to take part in the
Grand Final in London. After a first rate performance on survival
day ‘Nicolas99FC continued to dominated his fellow competitors
finishing the Swiss round with a mammoth 7 wins from 7.
‘Nicolas99FC then went onto to become the first player to earn his
scarf and a place in the Grand Final having beat Lukas_1004 in his
last 32 round match.

The following players followed ‘Nicolas99FC’ into London and

the Grand Final: YimmieHD, Eisvogel, StefanoPinna, Marcuzo,
andoniiPM, MaestroSquad, damie, Web, Hashtag Boras,
TheStrxngeR, MoAubameyang, Honey Badger, M4RV, Hashtag
Agge, deto
Suprise pack
age Web11
made it to the Decision Day (PS4)
semi-final
falling to B04 Once again ‘Nicholas99FC’ dominated in the quarter-finals, as 16
M4RV became 8 and 8 became 4.

16 Esports World Football

Semi Finals (PS4)

‘B04 M4RV’ V ‘Web11’

In the first Semi-final ‘B04 M4RV’ took on ‘Web11’ the
only Asian player to have booked a place in the last 16
and London.

In what was a commanding first leg performance

‘B04 M4RV’ scored 4 goals without reply to take a
substantial led into the first leg of the Semi-final match.
Web11’ scored early in the second leg to give himself
a chance to get himself back into the game, but it was

me up
not to be and after winning the second leg 5-2 ‘Web11’
gallantly lost 6-5 on aggregate.
B04 M4RV ca
g to
just short losin
in the final
‘B04 M4RV’ moved onto the final in what turned out to

Nicolas99FC
be a closely fought match.

‘Nicolas99FC’ V ‘Stefanopinna’
The second Semi-final saw a closely fought first leg that
finished with both players scoring a single goal as the match progressed
into the second leg.

The second leg turned out to be a carbon copy of the first as both
players cancelled out each other with a goal. In a match that looked
set to be going into extra time and possibly penalties ‘Nicolas99FC’
pulled a last gasp winner out of the bag to take him into the final.

Final (PS4)

‘Nicholas99FC’ Vs ‘B04 M4RV’

Three days of immense competition left two of the
best gamers in the world to see who would win the
Global Series Playoffs on PlayStation 4. Argentina’s
‘Nicolas99FC’ would be facing off against Germany’s
‘M4RV’ with the chance to take the title.

The German was first to strike taking the lead before

the Argentinean hit back twice leaving the score 2-1 in
his favour as the whistle went for half time in the first
leg. The second half saw ‘Nicolas99FC’ start well taking
the lead to 3-1 and he then added another just before
full time taking a 4-1 lead on aggregate going into the
second leg.

‘Nicolas99FC’ was first to score in the first half of the

second leg and that’s how it stayed right up until half
time leaving ‘M4RV’ a mountain to climb going into the

t as
second half of the final leg.

Never in doub
An early goal in the second half and a late penalty for
h olas 9 9 F C dispatched
‘M4RV’ was enough to give him the second leg victory, N ic
is path
everyone in h
but it was ‘Nicolas99FC’ who was crowned champion
taking the title with a 5-3 aggregate win. EWF

www.esportsworldfootball.com 17
GUILLERMO ‘KID M3MITO’ TREVIÑO

Guillermo ‘Kid M3mito’ Treviño is no longer a player flying under the

radar and with his name forever written into the history books as the
first ever winner of the inaugural eMLS Cup, EsportsWorldFootball.
com caught up with the high scoring goal machine, who went the
entire competition undefeated.

What was it like playing in the first eMLS Cup?

It was an amazing experience and with it being the first ever eMLS
tournament this made it even more special. But nothing can beat the
feeling of winning it.

How does it feel to be the first ever winner of

the eMLS CUP?

It was amazing because it pretty much puts me in the history books

of esports. Winning was awesome, but doing it on an unbeaten run
made it even better.

On the spot
Guillermo ‘Kid
M3mito’ Treviño

Photo courtesy of Houston Dynamo


What did you do to prepare for the tournament?
In the run-up to the tournament, I played against other pros from the other
conferences. I knew that I wouldn’t be facing those players unless we met
in the finals, so I knew I didn’t put myself at a disadvantage. As well as
playing US pros I played against others outside the US including some who
were going to be competing in Manchester at the FUT Champions Cup.
Who is the best player in the world right now?
I’m not sure about the world, but from the Americas, I gotta say Javier
Munoz the Colombian. He’s doing really well, right now. So, in my
opinion, he’s probably one of the best.
Who is your favorite MLS player?
Alberth Elis – Houston Dynamo, centre-forward - I like his style of play.
He’s really creative. He has everything, pace, power, dribbling. I love
seeing him play when I come here to watch him live.
“I wanna play him. I should
have replied to him to tell him
he’ll just get embarrassed,
he’d get beat 20-0! Hopefully,
we can get it on”
Alberth tweeted that he wanted to play you?
Yeah, I saw that. I was gonna reply, but I didn’t know how to. I
wanna play him. I should have replied to him to tell him he’ll just get
embarrassed, he’d get beat 20-0! Hopefully, we can get it on.
Who are your go to players in your FUT squad?
My go to players in my FUT squad. It can be anyone, right? I gotta
say my defense always comes first, It’s what I have to go with,
I love my defense. I always have to go with a great backline,
so I go with the Icons, such as Maldini, Ferdinand, Valencia,
and Marcelo. I trust all of them. I prefer going defense first.
As you can see in my team, where I took the hit on the MLS
side Especially In my midfield, I didn’t mind taking a hit there
because I prefer my defense to be solid. (The eMLS Cup rules
required each competitor to field at least three players from their
local MLS club, and play at least two. Treviño fielded Houston
www.esportsworldfootball.com
BY CHRIS LAFFERTY
Dynamo defender DaMarcus Beasley, midfielder Juan David
Cabezas and forward Alberth Elis; and he mainly played with
Cabezas and Elis.)
What do your friends and family make of your
eMLS Cup win?
My Mum was actually quite excited and surprisingly so was my Dad.
My Dad was just shocked because he never thought I was this good,
so I finally got the chance to show him that I was actually quite good.
Now, he knows I’m not just wasting my time on a game, so that was
pretty awesome.
Before the tournament were there certain
players who you considered as competition, or
was it more a case of playing your own game?
Yes. I actually did. Our rivals Dallas and Kansas City were probably the
toughest from our conference. I knew they were going to be hard from
the get-go because I had faced them before in other events last year, but
I knew I could beat them and obviously, I did, I never had doubt in myself.
When I played the guy from Kansas I knew I had to play his style. He
really likes to control the ball. He doesn’t let you get the ball, I had to
counter that by doing the same to him. I had to keep the ball, frustrate
him first, that’s what I did and it worked.
What do you need to do to become a gamer?
I have to say the first step is to never be afraid to lose. Every day
you learn something new. I took many losses in the past. Like in
FUT Champions, or even before FUT Champions existed. My brother
used to beat me all the time and I just learned from him. I took away
all the stuff he would do to succeed and I see what other pros do as
well, you just put that into your game and you improve and just keep
grinding. Practise and practise some more.
Are there any tips you can give to youngsters
who play FIFA and want to be in your position?
I have to say always practice. FUT Champions is pretty annoying, it’s 40
games a weekend, but having that mentality, you gotta have that mentality
when you go against big players, the pro players, and FUT Champions.
You have to play 40 games, it sucks, but when you grind out that many
games you always have to stay positive. To get top 100 you can only lose
twice, so you can’t let making a mistake at the back get you frustrated.
You can’t let a simple thing, like a mechanic of the game, affect you
because then it’ll throw you off your whole game.
Will ‘Kid M3mito’ able to extend his unbeaten run going into the Global
Series Playoffs. One thing for sure is there will be plenty of goals for
this sharpshooter. EWF
Esports World Football 19
San Jose Earthquakes
Alan “CaliSCG” Ortega
ALAN “CALISCG” ORTEGA
Esports World Football spoke with San Jose
Earthquakes pro, Alan ‘CaliSCG’ Ortega, to find out what
it was like to participate in the inaugural eMLS Cup.
What do you do to prepare for a tournament?
Playing against other top pros that are really good really helps. The
player that really helped my was Hasib Zulfic. He’s on PlayStation and
he recently got signed with Columbus.
In your opinion who is the best esports FIFA player in
the world right now?
I would have to say, possibly, for me it would have to be Gorilla
from FaZe Clan. He’s just on another level of the game. I know he
hasn’t won anything recently, but he just knows what to do and what
preparation to do and what it takes to win.
Who are your go to players in your FUT squad?
My definite go to is David de Gea, just because if my defence fails then
“My definite go to is David de Gea, just because if my
defence fails then they still have to get through him.
He’s just incredible on this game”
they still have to get through him. He’s just incredible on this game.
Probably my another go to would be Cristiano Ronaldo because he
does things and get the goals you need in the game, whether they’re
really technical, or whether it just game luck he makes it happen.
What do your friends and family make of your
esports career?
My parents think it’s really cool. They’ve seen just how far I’ve come.
One of my friends got me hooked on FIFA, probably like four years,
five years ago. He got me hooked and so for him to see where I’m at
now it’s pretty cool. My family didn’t really understand until they saw
www.esportsworldfootball.com
BY CHRIS LAFFERTY
me going to Boston to compete in the eMLS Cup. Yeah, they all think
it’s pretty cool.
What did you do to become a professional gamer?
A lot of it, as with anything is dedication. Dedication to learning the
game, the in’s and out’s, the dedication to put those hours in. It’s just
like with anything you want in life you just gotta put the dedication
into it.
Are there any tips you can give to youngsters who
play FIFA and want to be in your position?
I would say definitely sacrifices are gonna have to be made. So,
when your friends wanna go out on a Saturday night you’re gonna
have to say no, you just can’t. If it’s something you want then you
need to want it bad enough because there is going be someone else
who will also want it just as bad as you.
They’re not gonna be going out, they’re gonna be at home practising.
Learn how to make sacrifices and get that determination in.
Who is your favourite MLS player?
My favourite player I would have to say is Danny Hoesen from
San Jose Earthquakes. He’s just phenomenal on the ball. I like
watching him play especially when I get a chance to see him
play live.
What MLS Player would you like to play at
FIFA 18?
Fatai Alashe. He tweeted me out and said he’d want to get a game in.
That would be fun. EWF
Esports World Football 21
ADAM RYAN AEROX ESPORTS
Which team do you represent when you play?
I represent is Aerox Esports. They are a leading UK gaming organisation
that compete in various games and have a wide variety of sponsors.
How did you get to play for them?
I was contacted by the CEO of Aerox. We had a very positive number
of chats about why they wanted me to be part of the team.
I had various other offers at the time but I felt Aerox was unique and
the correct organisation to help take me forward and meet my goals,
looking back now I think this was a great decision. The CEO Curtis
has been really supportive and has helped me identify weaknesses in
my game I didn’t know about. They also have a few other players one
being Joey who I had the pleasure of competing with at the FeCWC
qualifiers representing Aerox.
Adam Ryan Aerox Esports
What was is it like playing competitive FIFA?
Playing competitive FIFA is my favourite thing to do. The feeling of
winning is like no other I’ve felt and the adrenaline that goes through my
body when I play is amazing, that is what makes me keep playing FIFA.
However, competitive FIFA has many moments where you feel down
because you are going through a bad period or aren’t meeting your targets
but I know that eventually if you keep playing you will meet your goals.
The feeling of performing well and winning is amazing but it does not
come easy, there are many set backs which happen before you reach
your goal but I think it is important to learn from these set backs and
turn them into positives.
You have just qualified for the Gothia eCup, how does
that feel?
It feels simply amazing. Qualifying for my first LAN event was my
goal this year, I had been feeling a bit down and disappointed with
22 Esports World Football
myself because I hadn’t qualified for any of the major tournaments
and I knew I wasn’t performing at my best.
When I qualified for Gothia eCup it was a huge relief for me. I
knew I needed to obtain LAN experience In order to take my FIFA
to the next level and I’m sure the Gothia eCup will help me
with that.
I’m also really happy because I get to visit Sweden a lovely country
and I can’t wait to go there!
We have heard there was allegations of cheating by
some gamers, how did this affect the ladder system?
That is correct. Some players were creating multiple accounts and
exploiting the system to match against themselves to get free wins
and move up the ladder. The player in first place was disqualified
for cheating. The team involved with Gothia deserves a lot of credit
because they identified this and dealt with it extremely well and the
cheaters were eliminated. If that player wasn’t banned then I would
not of been able to qualify.
What will you do to prepare for the tournament in July?
To prepare for the tournament in July I will be playing a lot of
head to head games against many other top players. I will also be
experimenting with custom tactics and formations to find out what I
think is best to use going into the event. The format is head-to-head
and not ultimate team so as an ultimate team player it is important
for me to play a lot more head-to-head and get to know what works
and what doesn’t.
I was slightly shocked that I won the qualification spot at my first
attempt because I had never played head-to-head before on this
FIFA so I know I need to take a step back from FUT for now and
focus on that.

Who is the best player in the world right now?
It is really hard to call, there are so many top players in the world
who are performing to standards beyond belief but if I had to choose
I would have to go with Gorilla (Spencer Ealing) the current world
champion. Every year Spencer manages to reach the top level of
competitive FIFA. He manages to qualify for every single event
without fail and go far in almost every competition which is very
difficult with standards being so high. I also think he has a unique
and very entertaining play style he always plays to outscore his
opponent. He relentlessly attacks using a variety of skill moves and
fast paced passing to out smart his opponent.
Who is your favourite player?
My Favourite player is Hashtag Boras. Ivan is one of the most
versatile players in the FIFA scene. He has so many back up
“The up and coming. Adam Ryan a future star in the making
has just qualified for his first tournament and shares his
recent experiences with Esports World Football”
play styles and formations that he can change to and out smart
his opponent. The thing I like about Ivan is he knows how to do
absolutely every control in the game and uses various combinations
that others wouldn’t and instead of keeping these tricks to himself
he uploads them to his YouTube channel In order to help out the
community to improve their game. I have a lot of respect for Ivan
because he has certainly helped me improve my game and he is a
great role model and someone who I aspire to be like.
Who are your go to players in your FUT squad?
At the moment my go-to-players in attack are R9 Ronaldo, CR7 and
my favourite player TOTS Son. My midfield is dominated by prime
Vieira and I use a prime Desially and Ferdinand in defence. My play
style is very much based around slow build up in a 4-2-3-1 formation
that speeds up in the final third. I think my attack is extremely good
because all my attackers are capable of producing long range shots
and game changing moments if I am struggling to break through my
opponents defence.
BY JUSTIN LAWSON
What do you friends and family make of your gaming?
Overall my Family are really proud of how I am doing with competitive
FIFA so far my father is very supportive and he is coming along to
Sweden with me, I don’t think my mother really understands it. My
brothers are always begging me to qualify them for the weekend
league and telling their friends about me.
Some of my friends think it’s great that I’m playing competitive FIFA
because they know I really enjoy it and put a lot of effort into it. I have
one friend in particular who is the most supportive of all. He always
motivates me and coaches me during big games or at times when
I felt nervous. He also lets me borrow his Beats headphones for the
qualification month so I appreciate that too :)
Whereas some of my other friends hate it because sometimes I have to
sacrifice going out with my friends or going to real life football training to
compete in tournaments or finish my weekend league games.
What do you need to do to become a gamer?
You need to be willing to put countless hours into the game to truly
master it and learn all the in-game mechanics. You can have all the skill
in the world but you must also have the attitude to go along with it. If you
have a bad attitude and become too angry when you are playing you will
lose focus and when this happens every good player will punish you.
As I said earlier you also need to be prepared for many set backs and
times where you do not meet your desired goals. But it is at these
times when you need to closely analyse what went wrong and make
changes so that it does not happen again.
You also need to be prepared to make sacrifices and take risks. An
example of this is FUTWIZ Zelonius quit his full time job to try and make
it in the professional scene, luckily this payed off for him but it won’t pay
off for everyone so you need to be sure about your decisions. EWF
www.esportsworldfootball.com 23
Emerging markets
TOM SMITH
Justin Lawson of EsportsWorldFootball speaks with
Tom Smith, managing director of Global eSport
Resources (GER) about their role in esports and the
vision of Saudi Arabia eSport Federation
Can you tell our readers a little bit about Global eSport
Resources (GER) and what you do?
GER provides global esport strategy, planning and execution.
Founded to service the needs of the burgeoning worldwide esport
industry the company is built on the experience and expertise of its
principals. Our team has broad experience in consumer product and
the entertainment industries, specific esport industry knowledge and
extensive international experience.
You are involved in activities such as the Saudi Arabia eSport
Federation’s (SAFEIS) first ever FIFA esport tournament. How did that
come about and what was your involvement?
Global eSport Resources is the connection to the international
market for SAFEIS. We have a mandate from the Kingdom to connect
their esport activities to the world. For this first-ever tournament
we were able to secure a sponsorship with SCUF gaming for the
controllers and with Phenix to deliver real-time streaming of the event
to the world.
Was the event a successful?
Absolutely! We had an amazing response both domestically in Saudi
Arabia as well as internationally with over 12 million live views of the
real-time streaming of the tournament from over 35 countries.
Have you got to meet Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Sultan Al Saud,
president of SAFEIS and what is his knowledge of esports like?
Yes, I have with Prince Faisal many, many times. He is an active
gamer who passionately believes in the vision that esport can be
a catalyst for the social change for the high numbers of youth in
the country. Esport will be a strong emerging domestic industry as
“We had an amazing response both domestically in Saudi Arabia
as well as internationally with over 12 million live views of the
real-time streaming of the tournament from over 35 countries”
www.esportsworldfootball.com
BY JUSTIN LAWSON
expressed in the Crown Prince’s 2030 vision for Saudi Arabia and we
are honoured and excited to be a part of this movement.
Tell us about the Crown Prince’s Saudi 2030 Vision?
Saudi 2030 vision is a visionary plan for converting and expanding
Saudi’s economic base so by 2030 the GNP is 50% derived from oil
and 50% from other sources. To do this the Crown Prince has made
three new agencies…one for culture, one for entertainment, and one
for sport.
The Crown Prince’s vision for growth within these categories will
create significant new employment and opportunities, new revenue
sources and most importantly bring Saudi into the 22nd century and
become a truly world player, especially in esport.
I cannot imagine this is all that you have been working
on, what else can you share with us?
Correct, Global eSport Resources has just announced the deal with
the Arab Federation for esports to create the digital portal for 11 Arab
countries with a combined population of around 300 million people
including 80 million gamers. This portal will be the first-ever one-stop
hub for all things esport and gaming for the 11 countries. We are very
excited to help build the Middle East into a world power of esport.
What are your goals and visions for GER?
Global eSport Resources is actively supporting and are committed
to executing the vision of Prince Faisal and the larger vision of the
Crown Prince to create an esport industry that model it as a true
profession for the youth of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Federation.
We also strive to bring the esport world community to the Middle
East through partnerships that truly support the desires of the
gamers in the region.
Additionally it is to help them win gold in the Asian games of 2020
and in the 2024 Paris Olympics. EWF
Esports World Football 25
DUTCH PREDATORS
Esports World Football’s Justin Lawson caught up
with Karim alias Adidas-I0 manager of the Dutch
Predators a VPG esports team to discuss the way they
dominated the league, emerged as champions, and of
course their plans for the future.
Share with us the history of your team?
The team was founded by Dennis Slotboom aka DennisBergkamp__
who started the Dutch Predators in 2009. They finished that season
in the top 5 of the world. I joined the team in 2010.
Back then we were only with 6-7 people and we played with 6-7 of us.
So some of us have been together for a long time.
In early March this year, we decided to join the VPG. And we started
looking for players. And the rest is history.
An interview with the champs
Which of the VPG leagues do you currently play in?
We have just finished the season after a tremendous run winning the
EUR League One and are now promoted into the EUR Championship.
So we are looking forward to next season and hopefully we will win
another league title.
Tell us about how the season has the gone?
Well, we won the league by a clear 17 points. But that does not mean
that it always went well. There were a few ups and downs in the team.
There was no consistency in the team. Some games we play very
well and some games we played bad and sometimes we were lucky,
we certainly deserved to lose some games.
I think the nerves have played a big role in our games. But we
finished with a record of 22-3-1. And that is pretty good record for a
fresh new team.
26 Esports World Football
What was the standard like?
The league in which we played was not a high division. It is the
division 3. So we secretly expected that we would win the title,
because we have guys with a lot of experience. There were only 2 or
3 teams that made it difficult for us. But was it a difficult league? No.
Why did you choose the VPG over VFL and other formats?
I think VPG is the best-known pro clubs organisation at this moment.
So that’s why we chose VPG over VFL.
Also you can create your own team, logo and name. Your own
creativity and brand were important to us. We are a relatively new
team that’s in development, this way we can grow as a team and get
better and reach higher division.
Who knows, maybe we will transition to the VFL in the future.
You have had some commanding victories, which was
your largest and why did it all go right?
We had dominated most of the games with big numbers honestly.
But our biggest victory was against Bulgarian Lions. We won the
game posting a score of 12-0. The game was one of those games
where went everything goes according to plan. We played as a team
and we all knew what to do. A big part of our game is about the
possession play and high pressure. If that works out in a match, then
we control the game.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced
so far as a team?
Team spirit, team atmosphere and keeping the players happy with
their given playtime. I think most managers experience this problem
and the biggest challenge is keeping the players happy.
But you cannot keep everyone happy all the time. Sometimes you

come into a situation where you have to let a player go because he
ruined the team atmosphere.
Then there is also people not coming online on time. That’s also
been a problem for us. Managing a team is not as fun and easy as
you think.
Is it hard coordinating everyone to be available for
matches or are players pretty committed?
No not really. most players are always available. Of course I also
have some players who often cannot play, but whom I would like to
see play every match.
Who do you rate as the best player in your side?
Hard to say. There are many good players in the team who can play
“I am confident that we can go far with this team. If we
continue to play well and build up more experience,
then anything is possible”
football and have been important to the team in different way. In
every position we have fantastic players who have a high potential.
But if I have to name someone, than it’s Danny Müller. Our striker.
He finished with 31 goals and 20 assists in his first VPG season
with no 11v11 experience at all. If you can score and create scoring
opportunities for your team mates as a striker, then you are a top
player for me.
How about what the most crucial position to have a
strong player in is?
Central back. I think that’s the most difficult position in FIFA Pro
Clubs. That position requires a lot of communication with the players
and chemistry must be important in the defense. So its hard to find a
player that understands that.
What formation do you prefer and why?
4-2-3-1. It lets you control the tempo of the game and easy to
BY JUSTIN LAWSON
have a lot of possession. It can also be either very attacking
or defensive. The LAM and the RAM can play as a LW/RW and
can support the fullbacks. And the CAM has a free role. So I
like that.
What is the best team you have faced?
At this moment I say Samurai XI. Because that is the only team we
lost against and narrowly with a score of 1-2. They made it hard for
us. So yeah, GG to them!
How far do you think your team can go?
I am confident that we can go far with this team. If we continue to
play well and build up more experience, then anything is possible.
We can even go to the Premier league in the future. This team has
high potential.
Recently I had a go at FIFA and lost 1-0 to my 8yr old. What
tips can you give me and any new players to the game?
Smh.. Never touch FIFA ever again and sell it on eBay ASAP!
The only tip I can give you is: believe in yourself and practice, practice
and practice. I got better in 1v1 because I played for 6 years as a ANY
in pro clubs. Playing with 75 overall CPU players is a good practice
for yourself. It worked for me at least.
How would you like to see VPG develop?
That VPG one day has over 1 million users. They already have
100k users within 7 months? And that VPG and EA have a deal
together so that pro clubs will be as big as FIFA Ultimate Team. So
that’s why I want to thank VPG for all of this. That they organize
this and put pro clubs on the radar. Its growing everyday. So
I’m very confident that pro clubs will be a big deal in the future
because of VPG! EWF
www.esportsworldfootball.com 27
UNUSUALS FC
An unusual interview
Esports World Football’s Justin Lawson caught up with
Unusuals FC to find out more about the team currently
playing in the English League 2 North and it’s ambitions.
When was the team formed?
The team was formed quite recently, December 2017. Some of
us had already played together in another team and wanted to try
leading our own.
How did the team come about?
After a season with Rosenborg VPG, me and a couple of other
players wanted to have our own team with our own style of play
and identity. I decided to have a go at managing, having had a little
experience as co-manager for the aforementioned club.
You entered the VPG English League 2 North.
Why did you choose the VPG over VFL and
other formats?
I wish there was a more intricate answer to that question, but it’s
quite simple really; we had our experience in VPG, and had never
really heard of VFL at the time.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced
so far as a team?
The biggest challenge at first was finding players, really. Then the
challenge was finding the right players and keeping them. But after a
28 Esports World Football
season, this became a little easier. Now the battle is to keep stability
in the team and get the results we all want. There’s some good teams
out there, even in our low division.
Is it hard coordinating everyone to be available for
matches or are players pretty committed?
It can be, yes. We’ve had some ups and downs in that regard, but
we’ve mostly been able to field full teams. The lads have been flexible
and committed, but we’ve always had the running rule; “real life
comes first”.
As of right now, this is just a game to us, so we show
understanding if people can’t play at times. Having flexible
players has helped us tremendously as well, with players being
able to play in several positions to provide good cover for
unforeseen circumstances.
Who do you rate as the best player in your side?
This has to be the most difficult question of the lot.
There’s a lot of good individual players in the squad and a lot of
very good, flexible players. At the end of the season last year we
had a small award ceremony, where I gave out awards for different
achievements during our first season.
Back then, the player of the season went to our CDM: Joggi. We’ll
see where that reward (named the Golden Unicorn) goes after
this season.

“In VPG I think good defenders are rare and could very
well prove to be one of the more crucial positions to
have strength in”
Well that was a very diplomatic answer. How about
what the most crucial position to have a strong player
in is?
I think you need strong players in every position, across the entire
central line.
I’ve always played offensive positions myself and I like to have good
finishers and good creative attackers who can do that little extra, but
in VPG I think good defenders are rare and could very well prove to be
one of the more crucial positions to have strength in.
What formation do you prefer and why?
I’ve always been a fan of 4 2 3 1, but we currently use 4 1 2 1 2.
It’s a position that might be a bit harder on the individual player, but
if the two strikers up top do their job and central defenders play well
together with the wingers it can be really effective.
The week where we made the formation change, we scored 32 goals!
This included a day where we won 8-1 in a cup match and 12-3 in a
league match, so it does work if we do it right.
What is the best team you have faced?
We’ve faced a lot of good teams in our two seasons. Some of them
we lost to, and others we won against.
Pro Ballerz was a good side, promoted in their first season.
BY JUSTIN LAWSON
Clinical Shottas are a side this season which have impressed me and
are currently in the top 3 and Absolution eSports have also created a
very good team.
How far do you think your team can go?
I think if we manage to keep our current players and make a couple
of more signings, for backup and otherwise, we can easily get
promoted. This season we have shown progress, both in results and
the way we play, but we’ve lacked a bit of consistency throughout the
season sadly, which is where we should improve next season. On our
best days, we can hang with anyone, and that’s the truth.
This week I have lost heavily to my 10yr old and 1-0 to my 8yr old.
What tips can you give me and any new players to the game?
The easy answers is practice, but I’m not entirely sure that it’ll do any
good. This new generation have knack for the techno-stuff and they
learn quicker. Try to be like Batman and use confusion and theatrics.
How would you like to see VPG develop?
The first thing that comes to mind is a mobile-app. I think they are working
on it, but that has to be their first priority going forward. Has to be!
That said, I would like to see EA Sports actually acknowledging the VPG-
community and try to work something out together in the future. The
community is growing too big and too quick for them to keep ignoring it.
#BeUnusual
www.esportsworldfootball.com 29
OXFORD UNITED ESPORTS
How did the team come about and who initiated the
move to become Oxford United’s esports team?
The core of the team was set up around the same time I got in touch
with Oxford United. As marketing manager of VPG I sent an initial email
to the club, as a neutral club with a great history and I thought they
would be a good addition to the massive things to come on the site.
It took quite a long time for the announcement to happen due to
more important things going on down at the club in regards real life
and the grass based football team so we decided to start the season
under the VPG eSports name. We were good to go around the mid
season point and it was merely a case of changing our club name
on the website and creating all social media pages and letting the
fans know. It was hard keeping the news on the down low until the
announcement but it was worth it in the end.
An interview with the U’s
You entered the VPG English League 1 South. Why
did you choose the VPG over VFL and other formats?
In my opinion VPG is the biggest and best site for competitive pro
clubs. With the progression of the site and many real life teams
partnering it’s only going to get bigger. We wanted to join League
1 South to match the virtual league to the clubs real life league
allowing us to work from the bottom and progress forwards. I
personally have played numerous competitive leagues and VPG is
without a doubt the best and most enjoyable.
What is the standard like?
Like any league there are always top teams, reasonable teams and
those that don’t quite cut the division. But overall the standard on VPG is
very high especially the Prem division. This is without a doubt the most
competitive pro clubs 11v11 league at the moment. Some of the best
named teams around are all competing for the hefty prize fund and to be
honest no other league comes close to the standard of the Prem.
30 Esports World Football
The more you progress the harder the competition gets. For us in
League 1 South we had a handful of very hard games which took us
out of our comfort zone. The top end of the table was very tight with
some great teams but anyone that has played competitive leagues
before knows that on the dawy anything can happen.
Tell us about how the season has the gone?
The season has just ended and looking back it was a successful
campaign. We may of missed out on top spot but promotion was our
aim and we managed to finish 2nd taking us to the Championship
South next season.
We went on a nice little cup run in the South Cup but for us our
priority was always promotion so winning the cup or the league title
would of only been a bonus.
We had many players come and go throughout the season which
at times affected some performances but that’s what playing in a
competitive league like this is all about. It takes time to find players
who fit the system and players that link up well with each other.
Overall the season went well and scoring 121 goals and having the
best goal difference in the league was a massive achievement for us.
So, myself and the team are happy!
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced
so far as a team?
Our biggest challenge was our second game against Elite. Not only was
it a title deciding game but we were on a 12 game unbeaten streak. Sadly,
we lost 1-0. After the loss the morale in the team dropped massively as
we knew Elite wouldn’t slip up again. We set out with promotion on the
minds at the start of the season but for us that was our grudge match and
we really wanted to beat them on the return fixture. It’s hard to take any
loss but we showed our character and bounced back!

Is it hard coordinating everyone to be available for
matches or are players pretty committed?
We have set routines on match night’s and that’s usually to come
online a couple of hours before the league games to get some
training and warm up games in.
We have a very committed bunch of lads so people are always
available even if not selected. There are times when some players
can’t make games due to real life commitments which can’t be
helped but we have cover players who help us out when needed.
Who do you rate as the best player in your side?
All my players are exceptional in their own way so it’s hard to pick.
Based on the season just gone, our stand out player was Emil Hinge
Esports World Football’s Justin Lawson caught up with Damon Graham
Director of VPG team Oxford United eSports to discuss their origins,
seasons performance and plans for the future
Andersson (Speedyfifa506) he was our most influential attacking
midfielder. He received the players player of the season award
which was voted by the squad and finished top CAM in the league
and is the current best performing CAM on the whole of VPG. In the
24 games he played he scored 20 goals, picked up 25 assists and a
staggering 91 key passes.
How about what the most crucial position to have a
strong player in is?
All positions are vital in a way and require a strong player but if I would
have to choose one position I would have to say the goalkeeper.
They are the backbone to any team, a mistake anywhere else on
the pitch can be covered by 9 other players. A goalkeeping mistake
often means a goal. They must have strong character for that and a
stable goalkeeper can give a defence confidence which then gives a
midfield more stability which allows the attackers to play free. One
save could change the dynamics of the whole team and effect every
BY JUSTIN LAWSON
player on the pitch. As a goalkeeper determination, desire and a
strong state of mind is key.
What formation do you prefer and why?
We have experimented with a couple of formations and the one that
suits our style best is the 4-2-3-1 Narrow formation with the central,
left and right attacking midfielders and lone striker.
What is the best team you have faced?
The best team we have faced this season has got to be Elite. They were
the only team to beat us in the league both home and away and they
are by far one of the best possession teams I have seen on VPG in my
numerous seasons playing here. They have everything you could ask for in
a competitive 11 man team and they are only going to get better in time.
How far do you think your team can go?
Our goal when we started was to build a strong foundation and
progress to the premier league and compete with the best of the best.
With the introduction of a second team this will be a great way to add
fresh talent to the squad, introduce many Oxford fans to the project
and help us reach our goal.
How would you like to see VPG develop?
The development so far is going well and improving everyday
but in time I would love to see 11v11 Pro Clubs the biggest and
best Esports mode around and to see many more professional
teams involved.
With the way VPG is growing and many real life professional teams
getting involved and also well established gaming teams like Epsilon,
it makes you wonder ‘how long’ until this is taken seriously and on
the top of the tree where it belongs. EWF
www.esportsworldfootball.com 31
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