The 2019 edition of the eMLS Cup presented by Playstation is set take place this weekend at The Castle in Park Plaza in Boston, directly following the PAX East gaming convention.
In the wake of the inaugural League Series events earlier in 2019, the field is set with all 22 eMLS gamers ready to play for the coveted eMLS crown. Prior to the streamed portion of the event, competitors will compete in one final regular season that will serve as the last opportunity to accumulate points. However, unlike previous occasions, this regular season will contain cross-conference competition for the first time.
Once it’s all said and done the knockout stages will begin. The bracket will consist of the 5 players from each conference with the most points. All remaining competitors who did not qualify directly will compete for the final two spots in an intra-conference Last Chance bracket. Final standings will be determined by the aggregate results of League Series One, League Series Two, and the eMLS Cup regular season. Current standings after both League Series events are shown below.
The champion will claim the coveted trophy, a $10,000 cash prize, and 850 Global Series points. The Global Series points put the winner in position to qualify for the Global Series Playoff and subsequently have a chance to be crowned world champion at the FIFA eWorld Cup Finals in London later this year.
Defending eMLS Cup champion and Houston Dynamo representative Kid M3mito is looking to get back on track after a run of uncharacteristic results at League Series Two in Frisco last month. Nevertheless, Kid M3mito finds himself in great position to qualify as he sits atop the Western Conference standings and remains one of the tournament favorites. However, eMLS competition has improved and this year all eyes seem to be on Philadelphia Union’s Doolsta as he enters the competition with back-to-back League Series wins and comfortably atop a highly competitive Eastern Conference.
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Kid M3mito to discuss all of this as well as his mindset, his approach, and much more. Note: Some sections of this Q&A have been edited for clarity.
Can you tell me a little bit about what you’ve done since League Series Two in terms of preparation and competition?
In terms of preparation, this time around I decided to figure out what team I wanted to use for eMLS Cup, build it on FUT Champs, and practice with it against as many top-level pros as possible. In prior eMLS events I didn’t always buy the players I was planning on using and I think that put me at a bit of a disadvantage. In terms of competition, that hasn't changed much. I always try and focus on getting in as many quality games in as I can through things like Weekend League and FUT Champs.
Last time we sat down you mentioned your dislike of ultra-defensive players and at the conclusion of League Series Two you once again reiterated this sentiment, are you making any adjustments to your playing style considering the results of League Series Two?
I’ve definitely made some adjustments. Considering the latest patch and how my opponents were playing in Dallas, I’ve began to play more possession-based FIFA. My goal is to limit the amount of attacking options my opponents have. I’ve also incorporated a dropback tactic which I think could play a really important role, especially if I score first.
What are your expectations from an overall gameplay standpoint for eMLS Cup compared to League Series two?
Competitive gameplay will be the exact same as in League Series Two. Dropback is really overpowered and everybody is taking advantage of that. Like I said before, whoever scores first is at a huge advantage because they can simply rely on the CPU and play extremely defensive. It’s not entertaining and I really don’t like it, but it is what it is.
You are obviously still one of the favorites to take home the title, what do you say to people who claim that you are not the same player as last year?
League Series Two was just a fluke. I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself and I really think I’m going to win. I’ve taken the time to get accustomed to the team I’m going to use and that’s something I had never done before. I’m just really excited to get to Boston and get this thing rolling.
You obviously went to Boston last year, what are you most looking forward to doing there?
Boston is a great place but I’m focused on winning, that's it.
