Former Vancouver Whitecaps pro player Erfan (Skills Shack) Hosseini got his old job back with an overtime goal Friday in a 2-1 win over starter Alex (Exraa) Gonzalez in an Esport showdown.
The FIFA Video Game Meeting marked the Finale of “The ONe Final presented by Alpha Esports.”Hosseini was lucky to get the job back by winning all six games of a qualifying tournament to find a challenger for Gonzalez.
Hosseini, a 20-year-old SFU student from Burnaby, BC, was the last man standing of about 50 applicants.
Gonzalez, whose playing handle is pronounced X-ray, is under contract with the Whitecaps through the end of the year. Hosseini took care of his professional situation when he received a Sport Chek gift card.
The good news is that MLS Clubs are allowed to register up to three Esports players, so Gonzalez might not be going anywhere.
They had played against each other before, but never in a tournament. Friday’s Final was a purely white affair, where both players played with the home team at BC Place Stadium.
Hosseini’s Whitecaps took the lead in the 16th minute after a Fredy Montero shot. But Cristian Dajome equalized in the 30th minute after a nifty pass in and around the penalty area for Gonzalez.
Ryan Raposo Won it for Hosseini in the ninth Minute of extra time, hitting in a rebound after a nice save from the Keeper from a hard shot by a teammate.
Gonzalez finished fourth overall to the EMLs Cup in June, where he was defeated in the quarterfinals. He was 18 when he was named a Whitecaps professional player last December, after falling out of the Top 10 at FIFA tournaments in Atlanta and London.
