The E-League crowned its inaugural champion after nine weeks of league play and a finals series last Thursday, and to say the winner was a bit unexpected would be an understatement. The elimination stage went for almost the entirety of Thursday, and brought with it a lot of goals, upsets, and huge wins. As such, here’s a wrap up of everything that went down in the finale of the first season of the E-League.

Elimination Finals Results

Xbox One Bracket

Newcastle Jets’ Dane Crow (Bossierhickory8) vs Melbourne Victory’s Mitch Austin
Result: 2-5 (after extra time)

Brisbane Roar’s James Williams (iCripsy) vs Wellington Phoenix’s Justin Josevski (Justmanutd12)
Result: 3-3 (5-4 to Cripsy on penalties after extra time)

Western Sydney Wanderers’ Joseph Nassar (OhNoAGoat) vs Adelaide United’s Jamie O’Doherty (FUTWIZ Jamie)
Result: 2-3 (after extra time)

Central Coast Mariners’ Matthew Camilleri (StrawHat Camels) vs Perth Glory’s David Cook (HighFly357)
Result: 5-3

Sydney FC’s Samer Elbadar (Samer96_) vs Melbourne Victory’s Mitch Austin
Result: 3-2 (after extra time)

Melbourne City’s Marcus Gomes vs Brisbane Roar’s James Williams (iCripsy)
Result: 3-1

PlayStation 4 Bracket

Newcastle Jets’ Bohdan Ling (BLFifa) vs Melbourne Victory’s Mouad Zwed (MuadZwed)
Result: 4-3

Brisbane Roar’s Dino Flocco (Ol_Mate_) vs Wellington Phoenix’s Christian Bartolillo (Fweshest)
Result: 1-2

Central Coast Mariners’ Kiran Gupta (KyrenFIFA) vs Perth Glory’s Peter Saisanas (Saisanas)
Result: 2-3 (after extra time)

Newcastle Jets’ Bohdan Ling (BLFifa) vs Western Sydney Wanderers’ Rick Tran (RDOUBLETT)
Result: 3-4

Melbourne City’s Josh Wood (Joshingwood) vs Wellington Phoenix’s Christian Bartolillo (Fweshest)
Result: 3-1

Grand Final Results

Xbox One Bracket

Semi-Final 1: Sydney FC’s Samer Elbadar (Samer96_) vs Adelaide United’s Jamie O’Doherty (FUTWIZ Jamie)
Result: 3-2 (after extra time)

A close contest opened up the night’s proceedings as Sydney FC’s Samer96_ took on Adelaide’s FUTWIZ Jamie. Both players were clearly nervous, and extra time beckoned after the score remained locked at 2-2 at full time. Luck fell on Samer96_’s side in the end, though, as he struck late in the second half of extra time to claim a 3-2 win over FUTWIZ Jamie.

Semi-Final 2: Melbourne City’s Marcus Gomes vs Central Coast Mariners’ Matthew Camilleri (StrawHat Camels)
Result: 3-1

It was relatively smooth sailing for Melbourne City’s Marcus Gomes, as he outplayed Central Coast Mariners’ StrawHat Camels in normal time to claim a 3-1 victory, in turn progressing to the Xbox One Final. Gomes was calm and collected throughout, and managed to capitalise on some small mistakes to take the win.

Console Final: Sydney FC’s Samer Elbadar (Samer96_) vs Melbourne City’s Marcus Gomes
Result: 2-1

FIFA can be a cruel, cruel game, and I think Melbourne City’s Marcus Gomes would have felt hard done by after conceding a goal in the 90th minute to lose the Xbox One Final in this fashion. A slight mistake meant Samer could capitalise, and he dispatched a beautiful shot into the corner of the net with relative ease to make it 2-1 in the 90th minute. There was no time left for Marcus to muster any kind of comeback, and the first massive upset of the night unfolded. Who’d have predicted that?

It was a tight contest for the majority of the contest, but a small mistake meant the underdog, Samer96_, booked his spot at the FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs and a place in the E-League Grand Final.

PlayStation 4 Bracket

Semi-Final 1: Sydney FC’s Mark Brijeski (xMarkoHD) vs Western Sydney Wanderers’ Rick Tran (RDOUBLETT)
Result: 2-1

A Sydney derby opened up proceedings in the PlayStation 4 bracket of finals, and it was – as expected – a very, very close contest from beginning to end. Coming in as favourite, Sydney FC’s xMarkoHD took his chances well and played to his strengths throughout the contest. Western Sydney’s RDOUBLETT just couldn’t really get himself into the game, and the Sky Blue man went through to the next round having claimed a 2-1 win.

Semi-Final 2: Melbourne City’s Josh Wood (Joshingwood) vs Perth Glory’s Peter Saisanas (Saisanas)
Result: 4-3 (after extra time)

Another close contest in the PlayStation 4 division saw Melbourne City’s Joshingwood book his spot in the PlayStation 4 Final with a clinical display against Perth Glory’s Saisanas. Joshingwood had a heck of a lot of chances, and while the contest went to extra time, momentum always seemed to be with the City man. Glory’s Saisanas was ultimately close to claiming victory a couple of times, though, but luck just wouldn’t favour him as he bowed out of the E-League finals.

Console Final: Sydney FC’s Mark Brijeski (xMarkoHD) vs Melbourne City’s Josh Wood (Joshingwood)
Result: 1-2 (after extra time)

Sydney FC’s xMarkoHD could have potentially booked a spot to play against his teammate in the E-League Grand Final if it wasn’t for an absolute botch of a save from Mark’s keeper, David De Gea, in the 118th minute of extra time. It sent him spiralling out of the competition, with Melbourne City’s Joshingwood booking a spot in the E-League Grand Final instead. Both of the fancied players were beaten by last-minute goals, and both were obviously livid with what had happened. That said, Joshingwood played well enough to deserve to go through.

E-League Grand Final

Leg 1 (PlayStation 4): Melbourne City’s Josh Wood (Joshingwood) vs Sydney FC’s Samer Elbadar (Samer96_)
Result: 1-2

An even contest was the theme for the majority of the first leg in the E-League Grand Final, as City’s Joshingwood played Sydney FC’s Samer96_ on his preferred console. Going back to a two-legged affair, everything was on the line for both of the boys. And while most would have expected Joshingwood to play well on his preferred console, Samer96_ was instead the unlikely victor — claiming a huge 2-1 win after the final whistle blew.

Leg 2 (Xbox One): Sydney FC’s Samer Elbadar (Samer96_) vs Melbourne City’s Josh Wood (Joshingwood)
Result: 4-0

With a deficit on his hands, Melbourne City’s Joshingwood tried to attack as much as he could in the reverse fixture between the two, though he was punished for defensive lapses. Sydney FC’s Samer96_ held nothing back, as he trounced Joshingwood 4-0 in what was a very one-sided second leg of the E-League grand final.

In the end, Sydney FC’s Samer96_ was the overall winner, winning 6-1 on aggregate and becoming the first E-League Champion!

Overall Aggregate: Sydney FC’s Samer Elbadar is the E-League Champion, following a 6-1 aggregate win! 

Final Thoughts

As the commentators said when the E-League Grand Final kicked off, had you told me we’d be seeing Sydney FC versus Melbourne City in the final of the competition I would have fully expected it to be xMarkoHD taking on Marcus Gomes. However, both players were knocked out in the console finals, and we instead witnessed two draft picks go at it for the inaugural E-League Championship.

It was unexpected, but drama is always appreciated! And while Samer’s win was fairly one-sided, it didn’t stop the E-League finals from being anything but an incredible watch from beginning to end.

The Sydney FC man played exceptionally well over the league rounds, and should well have been considered as a dark horse in the competition. As such, he proved to be, and both Samer and Melbourne City’s Joshingwood have booked themselves a spot at the FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs later in the year.

Finally, as the E-League draws curtains for this season, I can only look back and appreciate how much this competition has already done for the competitive FIFA community. It’s created a buzz around Australia and the FIFA community that I haven’t seen before, and I can only hope that it continues to grow overtime and becomes a behemoth of a competition in the years to come.

Well done to all involved, and here’s hoping season two lives up to the high expectation this season has set!