Lower League eCup

With no sports and specifically no soccer, what is there to do with our time? Well, I spoke with Joe Meyer, who is setting up the Lower League E-Cup, a FIFA 20 competition to help fill the soccer void we are currently in. Meyer says that he “thought that this would be a good way for lower league soccer to come together and help pass the time until the leagues can resume” and that “it will allow supporters and clubs from across the country to square off that wouldn't normally be able to.”

According to Meyer, the league is “designed for supporters of lower league clubs” but is also open to “any players, owners, etc. who would like to get involved” and more specifically “representatives from clubs in NISA or any amateur, semi-pro, or women’s league.”

Each real-life lower league side can have one representative in the PS4 and Xbox leagues, but can change their representative each week. A PC league may be being added, but at the moment it is too early to tell if there will be enough interest. Meyer does ask that if a lower league side has a supporters group that the representative come from the supporter’s group rather than directly from the club. Meyer’s said two-players representing a side in a single match is also going to be allowed.

The league will consist of a four to five match group stage followed by a knockout stage that will be played across two back-to-back legs to find a winner. With this, the potential is there to start as early as next week having one match for each team per week all the way up to a final in mid-May, around the time of the end of the CDC’s current recommendation of 8 weeks of no public gatherings.

 When asking Meyer about how which teams will be used will be decided he explained the following: “Two options, I’ll leave it up to a vote. Either way, it will be on online friendly mode, not ultimate team. One option is that representatives will either select a club from the 3rd or 4th division from England or Germany. The other option is to use the option on FIFA20 friendlies that gives each team an 85 overall rating. This would allow supporters to play with clubs that have a connection to their club like FC St. Pauli, Union Berlin, Wolfsburg, Fiorentina, etc. Either way, we’ll ask each supporters group/club to stay with the same club for the entire tournament.”

If you are interested in competing, reach out to the league on Twitter (@lowerleagueEcup) and try to find a club to represent.

And if you either do not have FIFA 20 or are not much of a gamer, do not worry. The league plans to “work with our players to make sure we stream as many matches as possible,” so there will be some sort of lower league soccer for everyone to watch and support throughout the spring.

No matter whether you plan to take part or simply watch the event, it is exciting to see some form of lower league soccer return to our screens during this crazy time, even if it is a digital version.

- Aarik Long

Note: This week, Protagonist Soccer stepped in as a sponsor for the league.

Aging Gamer: There's Got to Be Another Way pt. 2

An American’s German FIFA20 Football Journey

Part 2

The author, Phil Baki, has put himself into a FIFA20 Player Career Mode and will document the journey in this “first person” account. Beginning in Germany’s 3. Liga, the idea is to become one of the top players in the world and help the United States to international glory. Any liberties taken with reality are at the author’s discretion.

29 October 2019

What a very normal, not insane month it has been. I got back to Germany and we thrashed Magdeburg 3-0. It was a fantastic team performance and I was on such a high from being with the National Team that I felt unstoppable coming back to the 3. Liga. But that isn’t the crazy part. Today we took down SC Freiburg, a BUNDESLIGA club. The Pokal has been kind to us and when Freiburg came into our house they seemed human. I’ll admit, I was a bit overeager to score at times. This type of game gets me dreaming of a scout spotting me but it was the moment I showed patience that gave us the match. We had played a good but scoreless first half but the decisive moment came early in the second. I made a run down the right hand side, cut the ball back and then played a ball that found its way all the way across the box to Jonas Hildebrandt at the back post and he made no mistake with the whole goal to aim at. We survived with just the 1-0 lead but we are through to the 3rd Round and, hey, anything can happen.

17 November 2019

A couple of days ago I watched the USMNT, streaming on my laptop from my apartment in Rostock. They played New Zealand and won comfortably and while the situation was familiar, I felt a little empty. A part of me knew that capping me the last time was to lock me down as a US International and avoid any issues of joining Germany, but I felt a pang. Missing out on the team shouldn’t have hit me as hard as it did, and I’ve got club games during this international break, but it still hurt a bit. The second I got the ball 22 yards out from 1860 Munchen’s goal, I let fly and I won’t lie that I was hoping Tab saw it when the ball flew into the top corner. But my frustration was compounded as 1860 equalized and held us to a draw. We’re still 2 points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand over Ingolstadt and I’m still top scorer on 16 goals so it certainly isn’t all bad. Plus the family is flying out for Thanksgiving so that should help a little bit.

13 December 2019

It’s gotten awfully cold of late but I’m still in pretty red hot form if I do say so myself. I got my 3rd hat trick of the season against Wurzburg at home and, despite a draw away at Uerdingen, today we took down Chemnitz by a score of 3-0. Games between teams from what was once East Germany are just...different. The intensity in the stands just fuels the action on the pitch and even through the ice and snow, I didn’t feel a bit of cold. I grabbed 2 more goals with an assist in between and I can’t help but feel like this season might be the start of my career in earnest. Next is Koln at home in the Pokal. Easily the biggest match of the season and we’ll try to kill another giant.

18 December 2019

Well, the Pokal journey for us is over. That was the toughest match I’ve played in. Playing a confident Bundesliga team, who sit 7th in the table, I felt suffocated the whole match. I could barely get a touch of the ball. I may have a handle on playing in the 3. Liga but I still have a lot to learn about playing at higher levels. The locker room was as tense as it’s been all year. Lots of finger-pointing and blame going around but the gaffer grounded us and complimented us on the fight to keep the game at 1-0. I do worry that this may have hurt my chances of moving up, but with us still top of the league, maybe I can just ride this thing out with Rostock.

25 December 2019

Frohe Weinachten! It’s the 25th of December, I hit 25 goals on the season in the last match, in addition to my 12th assist of the season, both of which top the League. 25/12? Coincidence? I think not. We’re still top of the League but it is as close as it could be, with us and Ingolstadt separated by a single point. Germany goes on a winter break, so I get to take a trip home until the first week of January when we start training again. This season has been incredible so far and I’ve learned so much. As much as I’m happy to spend some time at home, I’m itching to kick off against Hallescher in the New Year. To 2020!

- Phil Baki