
Whitecaps FC Sign Dynamic eSports Duo to Take on Global Competition
December 16, 2020 - Major League Soccer (MLS) - Vancouver Whitecaps FC News Release
VANCOUVER, BC - Skill Shack has joined the party.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC made a splash in the gaming community on Wednesday by announcing that the club will have two official eSports athletes in 2021 - Alex "Exraa" Gonzalez on Xbox and Erfan "Skill Shack" Hosseini on PlayStation. Whitecaps FC is one of the first MLS clubs to have both a Playstation and Xbox player signed.
Download: Video, graphics, and photos of Exraa & Skill Shack
The competitive apparel for each player will feature a GamerzArena patch, the online esports tournament platform from the 'Caps official partner, Alpha Esports.
Both players will be representing the club individually and as a team in global competitions. The dynamic duo makes their team debut on Thursday, December 17 against Mexico's Paradero Gaming to begin online qualifiers for the 2021 FIFAe Club World Cup. Each team in FIFAe Club World Cup competition is represented by one PlayStation player and one Xbox player.
"We are very excited to have two of the most talented FIFA players in North America on our team this year," said Tyler Wilson, Whitecaps FC's FIFA eSports general manager. "Having both Exraa and Skill Shack signed to our club shows our commitment to making a real impact on the global stage. We're looking forward to watching them compete tomorrow and throughout 2021."
Exraa is staying put in the blue & white kit after a strong season that saw him finish fourth in the 2020 eMLS overall standings. Hailing from Regina, Saskatchewan, and re-signing with the 'Caps as the club's Xbox athlete, Exraa will continue to compete on the international stage, where he has excelled with top 10 finishes in the FIFA Global Series.
Skill Shack rejoined the club in November, winning the ONe tournament presented by Alpha Esports and earning a professional contract by defeating the incumbent Exraa in the final. The product of Burnaby, British Columbia will be handling PlayStation duties and representing Whitecaps FC in eMLS during the 2021 league season. Skill Shack was the 'Caps first eMLS athlete in 2018 and 2019.
In addition to the FIFAe Club World Cup, both athletes will compete as individuals in the EA Sports FIFA 21 Global Series in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 FIFA eWorld Cup and being crowned the 2021 FIFA eWorld Cup Champion.
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