Professional FIFA player Mike LaBelle says a lot goes into preparing for an esports tournament.
“For this next month, I’ll be playing every single day, where I’m creating content on Twitch, which you can find YouTube,” he told Cheddar in an interview. “The week before, I’ll look to play a lot more offline, because it is an offline event.”
And there’s a physical aspect to his training as well.
“At least for me mentally...if I got good rest, I feel like I’m going to be on top of my game,” he said. “I try not to eat poorly before an event. I wouldn’t recommend fast food.”
LaBelle recently signed on to New York Red Bulls as its first official esports athlete and will represent the club at the EA Sports FIFA 18 gaming league, competing in April’s eMLS Cup and in FIFA tournaments around the world.
LaBelle boasts more than 285,000 followers on YouTube and over 70,000 on Twitch, where he offers FIFA tutorials.
He says there are nuances to the sport that may escape casual gamers and fans.
“I think people who aren’t necessarily involved in gaming don’t understand that there’s a big difference between playing in-person versus playing online. So it’s important to get that kind of practice and repetition and see if there’s anything different so you make good habits.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/mls-kicks-it-with-esports).
Baker Machado met with Tucker Roberts, President of Philadelphia Fusion and Joe Marsh, CFO of Philadelphia Fusion to talk the team's success, their chances this weekend and the league overall.
Nicole Carpenter, Reporter at Dot, claims the ESPN esports deal is responsible for the spike in Overwatch League viewership. Carpenter predicts on Cheddar the Philly Fusion will emerge the victor this Friday at the finals.
Activision Blizzard eSports Leagues CEO Peter Vlastelica spoke with Cheddar's Baker Machado Thursday in preparation for the Overwatch Finals at the Barclays Center.
The Cheddar Sports crew caught up with Goldenboy ahead of the Overwatch Grand Finals for his thoughts on who he thinks will score a win and which players to watch.
The Cheddar Sports crew caught up with the team members of the Philadelphia Fusion, who upset the top-seeded New York Excelsior in the first round of the Overwatch championship. Getting to this weekend's Grand Finals, the team said, is a dream come true.
Stephen Revetria, Senior Vice President of the San Francisco Giants, joins Cheddar's Alyssa Julya Smith to talk hosting the Rugby World Cup Sevens and major tech advances at AT&T Park.
Jay Williams, a second-round pick in the 2002 NBA draft, has been a major proponent of paying college athletes. But he says the league needs real disruption to get those in charge to see the light.
These are the headlines you Need2Know
Mark Griffin, commercial director at USA Rugby, doesn't want to be the NFL or MLB. Rather, Griffin wants to spread the sport by forming rugby clubs at high schools and colleges. "The college infrastructure in America is absolutely incredible and second to none," he told Cheddar.
These are the headlines you Need2Know
