New faces shined and a new champion was crowned at eMLS League Series One last month in Los Angeles. So what does this mean for League Series Two coming up in Dallas?
In League Series One we saw the former eMLS Champion, Kid M3mito of the Houston Dynamo, lose his first eMLS game ever. We saw a teenager, Doolsta from the Philadelphia Union, surprise everyone by beating the former champ. Finally, we saw the emergence of three new faces in eMLS coming from FC Cincinnati, Atlanta United and D.C. United.
Now we have League Series Two coming up on Sunday, which you can watch on MLSsoccer.com, the MLS app, Twitch and Twitter starting at 7 pm ET. Here are three of the biggest storylines to watch out for when you tune in:
1. Will Kid M3mito reclaim his crown?
If there’s one thing that League Series One taught us, it’s that Kid M3mito is human and is indeed “beatable” in eMLS. Kid M3mito had been the favorite going into every competition up until this point; now he’s got some work to do.
After losing 4-3 in the final to Doolsta, he’s had some time to let it sink in, go back, look at the tapes and prepare for a potential rematch. The pressure is on Kid M3mito to perform and prove he’s still the best.
2. Home-field advantage for FC Dallas’ AlanAvi
After a disappointing result in the Western Conference semifinals, losing to Vancouver’s Skill Shack, AlanAvi is definitely out for some revenge heading into League Series Two. FC Dallas fans are expected to be filling up the seats at this week’s event, so it would be no shock to see Alan make a run in the knockout stages.
The only person standing his way, of course, is Kid M3mito, who has never lost to a Western Conference opponent. The pressure will be on Alan to perform in a potential Texas Derby clash on home soil.
3. Coin flip in the Eastern Conference
So much has been said about Kid M3mito in the West, but not enough has been said about the dominance of the East. Of the top eight teams in the East during League Series One, you could make a case for each of them to get out of the group in League Series Two.
NYC Chris of New York City FC was the favorite in the East going into League Series One and we saw him go out early to FCC Fiddle of Cincinnati. The Montreal Impact's LyesMTL was the champion of the East last season at eMLS Cup and didn’t make it out of the group in League Series One this year.
It will be interesting to see if a new player rises to the top this time. With League Series Two the final eMLS regular-season event for 2019, the points that each player accumulates (across three regular seasons: League Series One and Two plus eMLS Cup) will help determine the final seeding for the final eMLS Cup bracket in March, where the top five players automatically qualify while the rest compete in a Last Chance Bracket for a sixth spot. Judging from the current tables at this point in time, there is no lock for eMLS Cup.
Eastern Conference Standings after League Series One
Western Conference Standings after League Series One
There is sure to be drama in League Series Two, with each matchup potentially being one that could mean life or death for players’ hopes of raising the eMLS Cup. Make sure to tune in this Sunday to watch all the drama unfold!
My League Series Two picks
Western Conference Favorite: Kid M3mito (Houston Dynamo)
Eastern Conference Favorite: Doolsta (Philadelphia Union)
Western Conference Underdog: CaliSCG (San Jose Earthquakes)
Eastern Conference Underdog: FIFA Abe (Orlando City)
Player on the Rise: Renatogz05 (D.C. United)
Ones to Watch: AlanAvi (FC Dallas) and FCC Fiddle (FC Cincinnati)
