By Canadian Press

Vancouver Whitecaps double up on their esports talent for 2021 gaming season

Dec 16, 2020 | 9:26 AM

VANCOUVER — The Whitecaps are doubling up on their esports talent in 2021 with Alex (Exraa) Gonzalez and Erfan (Skill Shack) Hosseini both representing the Vancouver MLS team.

The 19-year-old Gonzalez, whose gaming handle is pronounced “X-rah,” will look after the Xbox side while the 20-year-old Hosseini handles PlayStation.

Hosseini was the ‘Caps first eMLS athlete in 2018 and 2019 before giving way to Gonzalez. The native of Burnaby, B.C., got his job back in November after defeating Gonzalez in the final of the ONe tournament presented by Alpha Esports, the Whitecaps’ official gaming partner.

Regina’s Gonzalez finished fourth in the 2020 eMLS overall standings.

Both players will be representing the club individually and as a team in global competitions. They makes their team debut on Thursday against Mexico’s Paradero Gaming in online qualifying for the 2021 FIFAe Club World Cup.

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Each team in FIFAe Club World Cup competition is represented by one PlayStation player and one Xbox player.

“We are very excited to have two of the most talented FIFA players in North America on our team this year,” Tyler Wilson, the Whitecaps’ FIFA eSports general manager, said in a statement. “Having both Exraa and Skill Shack signed to our club shows our commitment to making a real impact on the global stage.”

Both gamers will compete as individuals in the EA Sports FIFA 21 Global Series in hopes of qualifying for the 2021 FIFA eWorld Cup.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16. 2020

The Canadian Press