Sporting Kansas City midfielder Wan Kuzain and eMLS player Alekzandur will compete in the inaugural eMLS Tournament Special presented by Coca-Cola and PlayStation at 6 p.m. CT Sunday on FS1 and the FOX Sports app.
The eMLS Tournament Special teams up MLS players and eMLS players from the same MLS clubs in a single-elimination EA SPORTS FIFA 20 tournament. With Kuzain and Alekzandur in the mix, Sporting is one of 16 MLS clubs to feature a team in the FIFA 20 competition.
Sunday's action will see Kuzain and Alekzandur face Minnesota United FC goalkeeper Tyler Miller and eMLS player Jay Adams, respectively. The winning duo will advance to meet the victor between D.C. United (midfielder Paul Arriola and eMLS player Mohamed Diop) and New England Revolution (midfielder Diego Fagundez and eMLS player John Oliveira) later that evening.
Hosted by FOX Sports talents Stu Holden, Rachel Bonnetta and Rodolfo Landeros with color commentary from Mike LaBelle, the five-episode series will take place on an entirely remote basis with MLS and eMLS players competing from their homes. Each episode will feature four different clubs competing to win. Matchups will be contested over two legs, with the MLS players playing the first leg and the eMLS professional FIFA players competing against each other in the second leg. The best aggregate score will determine the victor.
The four winning teams from the first four episodes will qualify to participate in the fifth and final eMLS Tournament Special on Sunday, May 17, when a champion will be crowned. The Week 1 episode last Sunday saw LAFC striker Adama Diomande and eMLS gamer RemiMartinn emerge victorious.
The newly launched series is part of MLS Unites, a league-wide platform designed to educate communities, entertain fans and elevate heroic efforts taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. After each of the five episodes, MLS WORKS, the league’s social responsibility platform, and FOX Sports will make a donation on behalf of the winning club to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. A total of $50,000 will be donated to support frontline workers and feed vulnerable populations in the U.S. and Canada.
Kuzain, 21, developed in the Sporting KC Academy before signing professionally for Sporting Kansas City II in 2017. He inked an MLS Homegrown contract with Sporting KC the following year, notably scoring in a 4-1 defeat of Minnesota United FC on June 3, 2018. Kuzain is a longtime FIFA player and recently beat Real Salt Lake’s David Ochoa and Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar in FIFA 20 matches that streamed on Twitch.tv/eSportingKC.
- WATCH: Kuzain defeats Real Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa
- WATCH: Kuzain defeats Nashville SC forward Hany Mukhtar
Alekzandur, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, represented Sporting at eMLS League Series One and Two earlier this year. He was previously Sporting’s eMLS player in 2018 and ranks as one of the top FIFA competitors in the world.
Benefiting two national hunger relief organizations, the eMLS Tournament Special will unfold in conjunction with Sporting Serves, a newly launched philanthropic platform that will see Sporting Kansas City and The Victory Project partner with several community partners to provide relief to citizens across Greater Kansas City in a unified response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
eMLS Tournament Special presented by Coca-Cola and PlayStation
