Kick-off for the FIFA Kickoff Online Tournament at Unisport!
Soccer is the number one popular sport in Germany and virtual soccer, in the form of the video game FIFA, is now widespread throughout Germany as an e-sport and even the current FIFA World Champion "MoAuba" comes from Germany. There have also been several FIFA tournaments at Unisport, where consoles and screens were set up throughout the sports hall, with the opponents sitting next to each other and dueling eye to eye. The spectators on site always created a special atmosphere by joining in the excitement live. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the "Unisport FIFA Kickoff Tournament" on 18 and 21 December 2020 had to be organized purely online. Although this presented some challenges, it ultimately resulted in a great tournament with lots of nerve-wracking matches.
The tournament was divided into two big match days. First, a preliminary round with a total of four groups was played among the 18 participants on Wednesday, November 18. The top two players in each group, who beat the other players in the group in best of one mode, qualified for the final match day on Saturday, November 21. From the final day onwards, in the event of a draw after 90 minutes, a new match was set up with the same teams and played until the "golden goal" (the next goal scored). As a result, there were some intense and very exciting games, some of which ended on a par with Oliver Bierhoff's golden goal from 1996.
Of the eight participants in the final day, nick_schwarz1 and Schwabenko_1887 prevailed in the best of three mode and thus secured their tickets to the final. There, nick_schwarz1 won with a commanding 2:0 and underlined his position as the tournament's dominator. He hadn't lost a single game in the entire tournament and was therefore the deserved winner in the end. In the "small final", tornetzer3000 came out on top and secured third place. In addition to fame and gambling honor, the first three places received small prizes.
The tournament was particularly challenging for the organizers, as it was the first purely online FIFA tournament at Unisport. More than ever, it was necessary to rely on the fairness and personal responsibility of the players, as they reported almost all the results to the tournament organizers themselves. The entire tournament was very fair and communication between the players was always constructive and respectful, which is actually rather unusual in the online gaming industry due to the prevailing anonymity, but which makes us all the more pleased! The overall atmosphere was very relaxed and fair, and the games were very close and spectacular, especially on the final day. The result was often on a knife-edge and many games were only decided by a golden goal. The level of play at the tournament was very high, and the experienced gambler's heart could certainly beat faster. The best thing, however, was the opportunity for participants to make and maintain new social contacts despite the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing them to play through the second lockdown together.
Ultimately, the online alternative was no less successful than usual. Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the ban on traditional sports, players were offered a tournament with a competitive character and the opportunity to connect with other e-sports players. As e-sports are all the rage, Unisport is always offering e-sports events that you can take part in. There will also be e-sports offers during the Christmas tournament week. To stay up to date, it's best to check our homepage or our social media channels regularly. It doesn't matter whether you're a casual or professional gamer, we're all about fun and good company! So be there when we start playing again soon!
Author: Sebastian Kelm
