You haven't truly lived until you've spent hours upon hours watching live streams or uploaded videos of FIFA 14 fanatics putting in work on the sticks.
At least, that's how I feel personally, as someone who has invested many hours into the video game series over the years.
So thanks to the KICKTV folks for bringing the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs to the virtual world with their series Unlock The Cup.
Unlock The Cup kicked off way back when the playoffs got started in October, and here's how it works:
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One "super fan" was paired up with one FIFA YouTube gamer and allocated one of the 10 playoff teams. They then teamed up to take on the duo representing their team's real-life playoff opponent. Aggregate scores from the two FIFA 14 legs were added up and combined with those of the two real-life legs to complete a total aggregate score.
The superfans' fate was all in the hands of their real-life club, though. So even if the FIFA 14 duo were victorious in the video game aggregate, they were eliminated at the same time as their real-life team. The FIFA Youtuber then formed a new team with the opposing superfan of the victorious team.
The gamers were also treated to supporters tickets for their team's home leg of the playoff series.
At the end of it all — just as in the real world — the Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake superfans remain standing, alongside FIFA Youtube gamers Calfreezy (originally started with Sporting KC) and a still yet to be determined FIFA YouTuber from the Western Conference, as things ended in a 5-2 result in favor of the Portland Timbers in the FIFA Conference Finals.
FIFA YouTube gamers AirjapesFIFA and TwosyncFIFA will determine who takes on Calfreezy in the FIFA version of MLS Cup. When and where will they play one another? Live and on location from MLS Cup 2013, of course.
