It's time for the first eMLS event of the year, as representatives from every MLS team get set to compete in eMLS League Series One presented by Coca-Cola on January 16-17. The tournament will feature some of the top EA Sports FIFA players in the world competing for a title, as well as a cash prize. Here's everything you need to know as this year's eMLS competition gets underway.
What is League Series One and how does it work?
League Series One is the first of three eMLS tournaments taking place in 2021. The season will feature a $70,000 prize pool and will be headlined by eMLS Cup presented by Coca-Cola on March 20-21. Matches will be played on EA SPORTS FIFA 21, exclusively on PlayStation 4.
Each club will be represented by a professional FIFA player in all eMLS competitions who's seeking to be crowned the best FIFA 21 player in North America. Some clubs are retaining their FIFA player from last season, while other clubs are signing new players. The full 2021 eMLS roster can be found in MLSsoccer.com's preseason power rankings.
League Series One will be the first of three live-streamed tournaments that each occur over two days and comprise the eMLS season. The season will continue in February with eMLS League Two presented by Coca-Cola and conclude in March with eMLS Cup presented by Coca-Cola.
Each player will compete in a slate of 14 single-leg qualifying matches, which are set for January 5-6 and 12-13. Competitors will earn three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss, with the top eight players advancing to the two-leg League Series One Tournament on January 16-17. The prize pool for League Series One is $15,000.
How to watch and follow
The entirety of the 2021 competitive eMLS season will be streamed online. Fans can watch League Series On on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 from 3 pm to 7 pm ET on the official MLS Twitch and Twitter pages, as well as MLSsoccer.com and the free MLS app. Fans can also find updated results and standings on MLSsoccer.com.
The full schedule for the League Series One qualifying matches and final tournament can be found here.
