In Season 1 of the FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship Series, we saw an all-Saudi Rest of the World grand final and an all-Brazilian grand final in the Americas. Which nation will be the next to assert their claim to EA SPORTS FIFA dominance?
Which Nation will shine in Regional Finals Season 2?
It was a sight to behold in Sydney, Australia. After a riveting group stage and hotly-contested knockout round in Season 1 of the FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship Series, two players from Saudi Arabia emerged from the pack to compete in the grand final. Many had heard of Abdulaziz “A8drAfwz” Alshehri, known as Mr. D0ne in the community, before the event as he had amassed a large following on YouTube and Twitter. His counterpart in the final, Khalid “xX The Royal Xx” Aloufi, was a newcomer on the scene, but that didn’t stop him from stunning Mr. D0ne to capture the grand prize and book a spot at the 2017 Ultimate Team Championship Series Final in Berlin.
We saw a similar set of events play out in the 2017 Season 1 America’s Regional Final. There, Brazil took center stage when countrymen Rafael Salles “Rafifa13” Leite Fortes and Lucas “LucasRep98” Costa met in the grand final in front of a raucous crowd in Miami. Rafifa13 emerged as the champion, and signed a deal soon after to become a professional player with the Paris Saint-Germain eSports team.
Which country will be next to assert their claim to EA SPORTS FIFA dominance in 2017 Season 2? Here are a few nations to watch:
USA
Long considered an afterthought by some on the FIFA competitive scene, the US based players are making some noise heading into Season 2. Mike “Hashtag Mike” Labelle is one of the most experienced and prolific competitors in the region, and is now a member of the vaunted esports team Hashtag United. Hashtag Mike is expected to be one of the favourites in Vancouver at the 2017 Regional Final. Who of his countrymen should we also be watching out for?
Nicholas “MarsBar11” Mars captured the 2017 MLS March To Soccer Challenge, and qualified for the Vancouver event in the process. He’s in good form and ready for big things in the Xbox division. On the PlayStation side, there’s Christopher “DidyChrisLito” Holly. The Hempstead, New York native registered a strong performance in Miami and is back to take the next step in Vancouver.
GERMANY
Cihan “S04_Cihan”Yasarlar came oh-so-close to taking home the 2017 Season 1 Europe grand final championship in Paris, but ultimately it was Tassal “Hashtag Tass” Rushan who prevailed. The Berlin native fell short, but there are a host of other Germans looking to cement their claim to be called Europe’s best in Madrid at the 2017 Season 2 Regional Final.
Names to watch out for include Cihan’s fellow FC Scalke 04 teammate Tim “S04 Tim Latka” Schwartmann, who failed to make it out of the group stage in Paris but qualified for the 2017 Season 2 Regional Final, and Erhan “Dr.Erhano” Kayman, who like S04 Tim Latka had a disappointing result in Paris, but rebounded to qualify for Madrid.
AUSTRALIA
Though they enjoyed home field advantage in Sydney at the 2017 Season 1 Rest of the World Regional Final, it wasn’t a great tournament for the Australians. Joseph “OhNoAGoat” Nassar came into the tournament as a fan favourite, but he failed to advance out of the group stage. Since then, OhNoAGoat has signed with professional team FUTWiz, and is heading to compete in Vancouver at the 2017 Season 2 Regional final with redemption on his mind.
Another competitor to look out for in Vancouver is Mark “xMarkoHD” Brijeski, who didn’t make it out of the group stage in Sydney. He’s a more seasoned pro, though, and is a player to watch in the PlayStation 4 division. Other Aussies to keep in mind, as the tournament starts on April 21, are John “Johnny Atilla” Orban and Samer “Samer96” Elbadar.