eMLS competitive season starts on January 22
LOS ANGELES, California – The Montreal Impact and its eSports player, supported by BMO, LyesMTL, will kick off their eMLS competitive season on EA SPORTS FIFA 19 this Tuesday, in Los Angeles, at the eMLS League Series One tournament presented by PlayStation, the first of three eMLS tournaments this year. The playoffs of this event will be streamed live on Twitch as of 9pm ET and all games will be covered live on the Bleu-blanc-noir’s Twitter account (@impactmontreal).
“I can’t wait to start this second eMLS season and I feel confident ahead of the first regular season tournament,” said the Impact’s eSports player, LyesMTL. “I think I have the best starting XI in the league thanks to Nacho Piatti and Bacary Sagna, two players who enable me to field a complete and dangerous side. I’ve had good performances in the FUT Champions Weekend League and my main objective remains the same as last year: to qualify for the FIFA eWorld Cup.”
LyesMTL will face each player in the Eastern Conference once to determine the first tournament’s standings, and to put points on the regular season table in order qualify for the eMLS Cup finals. Last year, LyesMTL went all the way to the eMLS Cup final, losing out in the first edition of the event against the Houston Dynamo’s eSports player.
A new competition format for eMLS
eMLS has added two regular season tournaments in 2019, in Los Angeles, on Tuesday, and in Dallas, in February, to add another layer of competition to the popular initiative. The regular season games are thus crucial not only for the playoffs of each event, but also because the points won at these two tournaments will determine who can aspire to win the greatest honours.
This year, only six players from each Conference will qualify for the eMLS Cup playoffs. The top five in the East and in the West after the two regular season tournaments will automatically go through to the playoffs, while the others will have one last chance to get that sixth and final ticket for the last tournament of the eMLS season.
Two Impact players, one MLS player in a dream team
Just like last year, eSports players who take part in the eMLS tournaments create their teams by following the Football Ultimate Team rules. They must always two players from their own club on the field, along with another MLS player. They can also choose amongst all active players in EA SPORTS FIFA 19, except icons.
Unsurprisingly, LyesMTL has picked Nacho Piatti and his special SBC card with an overall rating of 85. The Argentine Designated Player allows him to create good chemistry links with Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi and his Team of the Year card, while the same applies with Portland Timbers midfielder and Designated Player Diego Valeri. He has also chosen French full-back Bacary Sagna, who also integrates well into the squad alongside Real Madrid centre back Raphaël Varane and his Team of the Year card and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé, who also has a Team of the Year card. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid defenders Sergio Ramos and Marcelo, and international French midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté complete LyesMTL’s starting XI.
In Los Angeles, the top four players in each Conference will progress to the Conference semifinals for a chance of winning the eMLS League Series One trophy, $5,000 in prize money and six bonus points for the eMLS regular season standings.
LyesMTL’s complete schedule is below and starts at 2pm ET:
Montreal Impact and LyesMTL v New York Red Bulls and Mike LaBelle
Orlando City SC and FIFA Abe v Montreal Impact and LyesMTL
Montreal Impact and LyesMTL v Philadelphia Union and doolsta
Toronto FC and PhilB94 v Montreal Impact and LyesMTL
Montreal Impact and LyesMTL v Atlanta United and RatedHugo
Chicago Fire and BITW18 II v Montreal Impact and LyesMTL
Montreal Impact and LyesMTL v Columbus Crew SC and CrewSC Nenad
D.C. United and Renatogz05 v Montreal Impact and LyesMTL
FC Cincinnati and FCC Fiddle v Montreal Impact and LyesMTL
Montreal Impact and LyesMTL v New England Revolution and JKO1707
New York City FC and NYC_CHRIS v Montreal Impact and LyesMTL
