Second eMLS tournament of the season this Sunday in Texas
Only a month has passed since the eMLS League Series One, the first competitive tournament of the eMLS season in Los Angeles, where LyesMTL, the Impact’s eSports player supported by BMO, finished fifth, just outside the top four which would have allowed him to access the tournament’s final. No matter, since he finds himself in excellent position to qualify for the eMLS Cup; the top five from each conference qualify directly, while the other players will have to face off for the sixth and final spot.
“I’ve analyzed my games from eMLS League Series One, where I opted for a balanced 4-3-3 formation,” said LyesMTL. “It felt like the right formation during training, but once I was there, it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped offensively. Since then, a patch has emerged and it’s important to realize that the atmosphere is different in tournaments than playing online. I must therefore change something.”
The changes made by the 22-year old eSports player are major. LyesMTL opted to replace Designated Player Diego Valeri, from the Portland Timbers, by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his 92-rated Flashback card; in between the posts, he’ll count on David De Gea and his Team of the Year card instead of Thibaut Courtois; but an even more important change is switching to a formation with two strikers.
“I’ve incorporated Zlatan, who will play with Cristiano Ronaldo up top,” explained LyesMTL. “Despite this change, I’ll still keep the same style of play. I think I would rather adapt my tactical approach, which will certainly look different. I need to score more goals this time around.”
Offensive strategies should be very different for all players participating in the eMLS League Series Two, because the recent patch LyesMTL referred to complicates the lives of those who use long range finesse shots to score.
“The main change is that timed finesse shots from further away don’t work anymore,” continued LyesMTL. “The defensive unit still stays airtight and it’s hard to score goals. Certain players can put 10 men in front of the box. It’s part of the game and I still need to find ways to score, but I’m ready: I have two strikers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan. I certainly won’t park the bus, it isn’t who I am.”
Once again in Dallas, if LyesMTL manages to finish amongst the top four in the Eastern Conference after 11 games, one against each player, he’ll qualify to the tournament’s final, which will be broadcast live on the eMLS’ Twitch account. He could win additional points for the regular season standings, as well as prize money.
