eChampions League Finals: Meet the contenders

Following the unforgettable eChampions League league and knockout phase in Manchester, the stage is set for the Final 8 contest in Budapest.

With a new name certain to take the eChampions League trophy on 27 May, meet the contenders and find out how they got this far.

Samugamer (Sassuolo)

For the second year in a row, Samugamer has made it to the Final 8. The Sassuolo player picked up ten points across his six matches (W3 D1 L2), leaving the 18-year-old 16th in the rankings. In the round of 24 play-off, he beat ePremier League champion Jafonso 4-3. Then came his toughest test to date: against defending eChampions League champion Emre Yilmaz in the round of 16. Emre showed his quality, but Samugamer responded with one of his best-ever performances, establishing an early lead and eventually winning 5-4.

MarwanMC9 (Monaco)

In the league phase, the Moroccan picked up three wins and three draws to finish in eighth place, giving him direct passage to the round of 16, where he faced a familiar adversary in ManuBachoore. The two faced off in the eLigue 1 Grand Final, where Marwan won in Paris to scoop the title. In Manchester, the two played out a tight game, Marwan narrowly winning 5-4.

Nicolas99fc (Real Sociedad)

The three-time LALIGA FC champion, nicolas99fc went undefeated in the league phase of the eChampions League, earning 14 points (W4 D2). This run placed the Argentinian fourth in the table, and set him on course for a round of 16 match against PHzin. This all-South American clash promised to be a great contest and duly delivered. The Iceman ultimately overcame the passion of his Brazilian opponent, picking up a 7-3 victory.

Vejrgang (Como) 

Vejrgang lost his league phase opener against Leks and was then held to a draw by Levi de Weerd, but the FC Pro Open Champion won his remaining four matches, finishing fifth. In the round of 16, Vejrgang took on Tekkz in something of an FC Pro classic, the two most recognisable names in the competition facing off on a huge stage. A contender for match of the year, it finished 8-8 after extra time and it took penalties to settle it, Vejrgang ultimately prevailing to earn his Final 8 place.

Nassada (Freiburg) 

The Virtual Bundesliga champion is well known for his attacking prowess, and that was on full display in Manchester. The Moroccan was the top scorer in the league phase, his 51 goals putting Nassada third in the table and earning him a round of 16 match with the exciting GugaFerraz. The Freiburg man wasted little time in taking the lead and refused to relinquish it, going on to win 5-2 to book his spot in Budapest.

Alihanlion (Leipzig)

For the second year in a row, Alihanlion has made it to the Final 8. The Bulgarian player achieved this by winning four of his league phase matches and drawing one, placing him sixth overall on 13 points. The Virtual Bundesliga runner-up faced a dark horse in the round of 16 in the form of LuukWijdeveld, but the Leipzig player overpowered his challenger in style, prevailing 5-1.

HHezerS (Hellas Verona) 

HHezerS continues to have a great season. The Italian ended the league phase in 18th with a W3 D1 L2 record. That meant he had to play in the round of 24, where he beat Karimisbak 6-3. In the round of 16, HHezerS faced Leks – the only player to beat Vejrgang in the league phase. After a tense and nervy match, HHezerS emerged with a 3-2 win and place in the Final 8.

DFernandes (Cadiz CF)

DFernandes had a W4 D2 record in the league phase, taking him straight to the round of 16 where he faced the tricky Maxkoelemaij. The Dutch contender took a quick 3-0 lead and looked to be on course for victory, but DFernandes rallied and managed to level the match early in the second half. The Portuguese player ultimately grabbed a winner with the last kick of the game, making the score 6-5.

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