Sporting Kansas City midfielder Wan Kuzain and eMLS star Alekzandur will compete in the championship episode of the eMLS Tournament Special on Sunday, slated for 5-7 p.m. CT on FS1 and the FOX Sports app.
The marquee FIFA 20 competition will see Kuzain and Alekzandur face LAFC striker Adama Diomande and eMLS player RemiMartinn, respectively, in the semifinals. The winner of the matchup, decided by aggregate goals over the two games, will meet either Atlanta United FC (defender Franco Escobar and eMLS player Paulo Neto) or New York City FC (goalkeeper Sean Johnson and eMLS player Didychrislito) in the finals.
Kuzain and Alekzandur scored 11 unanswered goals to win Week Two of the eMLS Tournament Special on April 26, ousting Minnesota goalkeeper Tyler Miller and eMLS player Jay Adams in the first round before topping D.C. United midfielder Paul Arriola and eMLS player Mohamed Diop in the second round.
Kuzain, a 21-year-old Sporting KC Academy product, put four goals past Miller to give Sporting a comfortable lead in the first-round contest. Alekzandur, a Kansas City native and one of the best FIFA players in the world, struck twice in the second leg to seal a 6-0 aggregate victory. Sporting displayed further ruthlessness in the second round, with Kuzain dispatching Arriola 2-0 and Alekzandur beating Diop 3-0 to clinch another shutout win on aggregate and vault the duo into the tournament finals.
Sporting KC eMLS Tournament Special Week Two Results (April 26)
- Match 1, Leg 1: Won 4-0 (Kuzain vs. Minnesota goalkeeper Tyler Miller)
- Match 1, Leg 2: Won 2-0 (Alekzandur vs. Minnesota eMLS player Jay Adams)
- Match 2, Leg 1: Won 2-0 (Kuzain vs. DC United midfielder Paul Arriola)
- Match 2, Leg 2: Won 3-0 (Alekzandur vs. DC United eMLS player Moahmed Diop)
The eMLS Tournament Special teams up MLS players and eMLS players from the same MLS clubs in a single-elimination FIFA 20 competition. With Kuzain and Alekzandur in the mix, Sporting was one of 16 MLS clubs to feature a team in the event.
Hosted by FOX Sports talents Stu Holden, Rachel Bonnetta and Rodolfo Landeros with color commentary from Mike LaBelle, the eMLS Tournament Special takes place on an entirely remote basis with MLS and eMLS players competing from their homes. Each episode has featured four different clubs competing to win. Matchups are 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 determines the victor.
eMLS Tournament Special Schedule and Results
- April 19 (Week 1): Won by LAFC duo Adama Diomande and RemiMartinn
- April 26 (Week 2): Won by Sporting KC duo Wan Kuzain and Alekzandur
- May 3 (Week 3): Won by New York City FC duo Sean Johnson and Didychrislito
- May 10 (Week 4): Won by Atlanta United FC duo Franco Escobar and Paulo Neto
- May 17 (Finals): Sunday from 5-7 p.m. CT on FS1 and the FOX Sports app
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 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.
Benefiting two national hunger relief organizations, the eMLS Tournament Special has unfolded in conjunction with Sporting Serves, a newly launched philanthropic platform that unites Sporting Kansas City and The Victory Project with several community partners to provide relief to citizens across Greater Kansas City in a unified response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
