When the eMLS season kicks off on Tuesday at the eMLS League Series 1, Houston Dynamo FC will be represented by a legend in the gaming community. The Dynamo signed George Adamou in the offseason from the New York Red Bulls, luring him away from his hometown club and the team with which he won the 2020 eMLS championship.
On Tuesday, Adamou will take the first step towards returning to eMLS glory when he squares off against 26 other FIFA players in a competition featuring a record $75,000 prize pool.
Adamou’s career in soccer actually began on a real pitch, before he decided to move to virtual. He went to Adelphi University to play soccer for the top ranked Division-II program in the country. Unfortunately, Adamou suffered an injury in his freshman season that ended his career. While the injury was hard on him at first, he looks at the situation differently now that he has found success playing FIFA.
“I guess it was a blessing in disguise because I was able to pick up video games,” Adamou said. “I guess I had a hidden talent that I didn’t really know of. My brother used to sign me up for tournaments, and I would place very well, but I never really knew that you could make a living out of this.”
After entering his first FIFA tournament qualifier in 2020, Adamou qualified to play in an international tournament in Romania, at which point the Red Bulls approached him to sign for them. For Adamou, who has been playing the game since FIFA 06 on the Nintendo GameCube, the opportunity was a dream come true.
It turned out to be a good decision for both sides, as Adamou went on to win eMLS Cup as a rookie.
“It was very difficult,” Adamou said. “I was just a kid. There was a lot of pressure, and I was very nervous, because I used to watch these same people compete and now I’m sitting here competing against them.”
Adamou followed that championship up with another successful season. He reached the final in two out of three eMLS tournaments, losing in both finals. However, the most important sign of Adamou's FIFA skills came when he qualified for the eWorld Cup, which is only open to the top 16 FIFA players in the world. This tournament was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19, but it served as a lesson to Adamou that taught him that he can compete with the best FIFA players in the world.
In addition to bringing in Adamou, the Dynamo also signed Martin Oregel from LAFC. While the exciting new pair has the eMLS world buzzing, fans will have to wait a little bit longer to see the duo team up for the first time.
Adamou will represent the Dynamo in the eMLS circuit while the pair will team up to compete in FIFA Global Series events. Both players come to the Dynamo with proven track records of success in professional gaming.
Adamou is now widely considered one of the top two players in eMLS. It is this past success that gives him confidence that he will continue to succeed going forward.
“I know that I can replicate my success of these last two years into next year,” Adamou said. “I came to Houston to win trophies. They already have one trophy so I’m trying to make them the most decorated club in eMLS history.”
With success comes attention, attention which Adamou has parlayed into becoming one of the most streamed FIFA players in North America on Twitch. Now, he’s bringing his talents to the Houston Dynamo. When asked why he chose to leave his hometown club, the Queens, New York native did not hesitate in his response.
“This club has a rich history,” Adamou said. “I love the rebranding of the club. The club looks like it’s going in a very positive direction. I came here to win trophies. I’m a winner and that’s what I’m here for.”
That winning will hopefully begin on Tuesday, when George will kick off against Minnesota United FC at 5:00 p.m. CT.
Fans can watch GAdamou10_ and RemiMartinn on Twitch and follow the League Series 1 qualifiers at HoustonDynamoFC.com. The elimination round will take place on Saturday, January 15 and Sunday, January 16 and are available on Twitter, Twitch, or the league's website.
