The Eastern Conference final starts today at 1pm on Twitch
After two days of qualification games in which I played 8 games daily, I ranked third in the East. That meant I would play in the knockout stage and face Chicago Fire’s HekTicJukez in the quarterfinals. There were only a maximum of two games to play on Saturday, but what a crazy day…
In that quarter-final matchup against a dangerous opponent – with whom I tied twice on Thursday – but who was experiencing for the first time a tournament like this, I took an early lead in the first half, through Lionel Messi. Scoring the first goal is always important in that kind of knockout game, as you put pressure on the other guy while making it easier to control the game.
HekTicJukeZ came back level around the hour mark, then Nacho Piatti took advantage of a rebound to give me the lead, 15 virtual minutes from time. At that moment, I knew I had to stay solid defensively and stay calm. I was able to close out the game and go through to the Conference semifinals, where Toronto FC awaited.
PhilB94 is also a good player with a strong defense, as can testify his second-best defensive record in the East – behind me – and his second-place finish. I also tied twice against him in the qualifying round, and it was very close games both times.
Once again, we could feel the Montreal-Toronto rivalry. On each side, we gave it our best shot and it was a very good game, with a big battle in midfield. Phil scored first, through a shot from distance by Paul Pogba in the 85th minute. But when you play FIFA, you should never be discouraged. In the last minutes of the game, you can create a few chances and I was able to unlock his defense with the last kick of the game, a Messi volley from a Cristiano Ronaldo cross. I ended up winning it on penalties, after Toronto missed with its first two spot kicks.
Today, there are three games to play, whatever happens. We start with the Eastern Conference final against didychrislito from New York City FC, a player I know well. He is very good, but I really want to beat him. Then, it will be either the eMLS Cup final or the third-place final, which both work on a two-game aggregate format.
I aim for the Cup, but the main objective remains to get a place to the Ultimate Club Global Series Playoffs, which is one of the ways to qualify for the FIFA eWorld Cup. The three best players from eMLS Cup will be invited there.
But first, let’s win this.
