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“Paulo Neto” wins 2nd straight League Series 1 title

A Major League Soccer ball sits on a podium ahead of the eMLS Cup tournament at the Moody Theater on March 13, 2022. The eMLS Cup is the championship tournament that determines which player is the best FIFA esports player in North America.

Aem Sxsw Emls Cup 1
Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Paulo “Paulo Neto” Neto of Atlanta United won his second consecutive eMLS League Series 1 title, defeating Ehsan “Lamps” Zakeri of Minnesota United 9-1 in aggregate scoring in New York on Sunday. Paulo Neto won the first leg 3-0, and dominated the second as well, 6-1.

The sixth-seeded Paulo Neto made the finals with a 5-3 semifinal win over seventh-seeded Nashville SC’s Joksan “Joksan” Redona 5-3 in the aggregate. They tied 3-3 in the first leg, but Neto blanked Redona 2-0 in the second leg.

The top-seeded Lamps qualified for the final by edging No. 5 Alan “AlanAvi” Avila of FC Dallas 5-4 in the other semifinal. They also tied 3-3 in the first leg, but Zakeri eked out the second leg 2-1.

The series bracket of games followed group stage qualifying on Saturday, with remote qualifying taking place earlier in the week.

Paulo Neto was more dominant in the quarterfinals, demolishing third-seeded Mohamed “KingCJ0” Alioune Diop of DC United 9-3, winning the legs 6-2 and 3-1. Lamps also won big in the quarters, dumping No. 8 Nawid “Goal Machine” Noorzai of Toronto FC 8-2, winning both legs 3-1 and 5-1.

AlanAvi had to hang on to win his quarterfinal match 8-6 over the fourth seed, Bruno “CPTBRUNO” Albino of the Portland Timbers. AlanAvi took the first leg 5-2, giving him enough of a cushion to withstand CPTBRUNO’s 4-3 edge in the second leg.

Joksan won each leg by one goal in edging No. 2 George “Adamou10” Adamou 5-3 in the other quarterfinal. He took the first leg 1-0 and the second leg 4-3.

In the day’s first round, which included players seeded fifth through 12th, Goal Machine defeated ninth-seeded Alix “LOUX11” Largerie of CF Montreal 4-1.

AlanAvi edged 12th-seeded Macisse “CisseSZN” Diop of FC Cincinnati 3-2; Joksan defeated 10th-seeded Niklas “NR7” Raseck of St. Louis City SC 6-3; and Paulo Neto smothered 11th-seeded Thiago “ThiagoCapo12” Capo 3-1.

League Series 2 play, also in New York, begins with remote qualifying Feb. 7-8, continues with group stage action on Feb. 11 and concludes with the final on Feb. 12.

–Field Level Media

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