Atlanta United eSports Favored to Win eMLS Tournament Special
By Josh Ricker in eSports
Updated: March 16, 2021 at 8:19 am EDTPublished:
- Starting this Sunday, the MLS is hosting an eMLS FIFA 20 tournament on FS1 and Fox Deportes between MLS players and their eSports counterparts
- The league will host two matches every Sunday, with the final taking place on May 17th
- Currently, Atlanta United eSports has the slight edge to win outright with odds of +550. Read our preview of the event below
With the sports world on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, MLS has decided to use eSports as a platform to get fans engaged again. This Sunday they will be kicking off an eSports FIFA tournament between current MLS players and their eSports counterparts.
The league will host two games every Sunday at 7:00 pm EST for four entire weeks. Fans will get to see the likes of Chicharito and Nani on the sticks, playing as their current team. It is set up as a pro-am of sorts, with a player set up with an eSports athlete of that respective team going up against two other opponents. The league will be using some of the profits to make donations to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada after every edition of the tournament.
eMLS Tournament Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Atlanta United eSports | +550 |
| FC Cincinnati eSports | +600 |
| New York City eSports | +600 |
| Houston Dynamo eSports | +800 |
| LA Galaxy eSports | +1000 |
| New York Red Bulls eSports | +1000 |
| Sporting KC eSports | +1000 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps eSports | +1000 |
| DC United eSports | +1200 |
| Los Angeles FC eSports | +1200 |
| Toronto FC eSports | +1400 |
| Chicago Fire eSports | +2000 |
| Orlando City eSports | +2000 |
| FC Dallas eSports | +2500 |
| Minnesota United eSports | +3300 |
| New England Revolution eSports | +4000 |
Odds taken Apr. 17
Atlanta to Win On and Off the Pitch?
Currently, Atlanta United are the slight favorites to win with Franco Escobar and Paulo Neto as their duo. This past December, Neto was ranked as the fourth-best FIFA 20 player on PS4 and has proved his worth in the eMLS, claiming the second spot in the table with 57 points, just six behind Fiddle of Cincinnati.
Fiddle will be teaming up with Kendall Watson of FC Cincinnati, which makes the pair a close second at odds of +600. Despite being a professional footballer, Watson is no stranger to FIFA, as he actually claimed he used it to prepare for Costa Rica’s run in the World Cup in 2018.
What Other Teams Could Make a Deep Run?
Moving almost perfectly down the eMLS standings comes NYCFC favorite Sean Johnson paired with eSports athlete Didychrislito who has 56 points in the campaign. The thirty-year-old goalie seemed to be quite familiar with the game, appearing in a promotion for the Chicago Fire and the video game all the way back in 2013. We will see if he can stay up to speed with the new game and timed finishing.
The 2019 eMLS runner-up, Godfather, alongside legend Javier Hernandez is a team many footy fans will want to tune into. They have a tough match in the first round, having to play in “El Trafico” against eMLS rival RemiMartinn and Adama Diomande. Either one of these sides could go a long way in the tournament if they make it out of the first match.
Waiting patiently for Sunday 😜pic.twitter.com/UC5pMN8lh9
— 🎮 Major League Soccer | #eMLS (@eMLS) April 16, 2020
Playing FIFA with a teammate can be much more difficult than going about it alone, which could spell trouble for even the best eSports athletes. Ultimately, it will come down to which MLS talent can translate his skills to the console, because the eSports players are so close in talent which is evident when checking out the league table.
Something else to consider when making your bet is the age of MLS players competing. The older players might have been FIFA fans back in the day, but the game has drastically changed. This might be something to consider when placing a bet on a team.
Who ya got?
eMLS & @MLS stars team up to compete in #FIFA20 🎮
Five Weeks
16 Clubs
Sundays @ 7 PM ET on @FS1 #eMLS Tournament Special#MLSUnites / #StayAndPlay➡️ https://t.co/ioRyzHZC1V pic.twitter.com/Fclao4KH5Y
— 🎮 Major League Soccer | #eMLS (@eMLS) April 13, 2020
Best Bet
The best bet, in my opinion, is FC Cincinnati at +600 odds. While Paulo Neto is exuberantly talented, he cannot do it all on his own, and it is unclear if Franco Escobar is a regular FIFA player. However, Cincinnati has Fiddle who has had so much success in the eMLS, paired with Kendall Watson, who we know has some familiarity with the recent versions of the game. Overall, this tournament will probably end up being very close, almost too close to call, but I still expect Fiddle and FC Cincinnati to put in a good showing.
My Pick: FC Cincinnati (+600)
Sports Writer
Josh Ricker is a freelance sports journalist, currently attending the University of Southern Maine (Bachelor of Science in Sports Management and Marketing). He has recently interned with the AA Portland Sea Dogs, and his work has been featured on Fansided, as well as now here on SBD.
