NEW YORK - Marco Di Vaio has won a very real place on the MLS All-Star team, thanks to the very hard work of his virtual self.
Major League Soccer and Electronic Arts Inc. announced Thursday that the Montreal forward is the winner of the AT&T MLS All-Star ‘In the Game’ Challenge, giving the Impact their first-ever All-Star selection halfway through a breakout season atop the Eastern Conference.
Fans around the world scored 74,000 goals with Di Vaio on EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 13 from July 3-July 10 to secure him the final spot on the All-Star Fan XI, edging out LA Galaxy forward Robbie Keane (70,000). The first players on the Fan XI were announced last week.
The real-life Di Vaio has scored 11 goals this season for the Impact, tied for the league lead with fellow All-Star selection Mike Magee of the Chicago Fire.
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“I am honored to be the first player voted into the All-Star Fan XI by the millions of FIFA Soccer 13 players around the world,” Di Vaio said in a statement. “I want to thank all my fans who spent so many hours playing FIFA Soccer 13 to help secure me a spot on the Fan XI.”
This is the first time in any professional sports league that fans used a videogame to determine the outcome of a vote for an All-Star game.
All-Star Head Coach Peter Vermes of Sporting Kansas City will name his game day roster for the All-Star team on July 15. The All-Stars will take on AS Roma on July 31 at Sporting Park.
