Sports have always found a way to bring a community together.
Uniting behind a badge that dons the front of a jersey while rallying the 11 players on the pitch with chants and cheers alongside thousands of peers provides a unique sense of comradery that is hard to find anywhere else. However in the face of adversity, that comradery can transcend from just the badge to the league in of itself.
As USL Championship teams sit in wait for their time to return to the pitch, fans of the league have taken it upon themselves to keep the spirit of competition. Started by one man on Twitter, 90+ USL fans came together to craft a fan-made USL esports league, appropriately titled eUSL.
“eUSL first and foremost scratches a competitive itch that is being left unattended in the absence of actual live soccer going on,” explained Seriously Loco podcast founder, Phil Baki. “When I saw what the folks around the league were putting together with eUSL, it seemed like such a no-brainer to get involved and to make sure Locomotive had representation.”
From El Paso Locomotive FC, five supporters have stepped up to represent the Loco Blue. Phil stands alongside fellow members from 8th Notch to represent Locomotive FC in a new way: Competing on the virtual pitch as opposed to cheering on the side or analyzing on Seriously Loco Podcast.
“It’s a lot of pressure!” Phil exclaimed. “Most of the time we get to analyze how the players perform but now I’m the one who has to put in a performance. It means a lot though to be able to represent the team, even in an unofficial capacity. I hope I do justice to the club and rest assured I’m putting in the work in training to put forward the best possible performance next Saturday on matchday!”
As the sports world feels the void that was left from the impact of the temporary suspensions of leagues around the world, eSports has been able to step up and fill that spot. While some may be skeptical of how eSports could compare, Phil expressed how good it could be. He has felt himself getting hyped into the virtual match-ups in similar ways as live sports.
However, there is an aspect of eUSL that sets it apart. eUSL was created by the fans for the fans.
“Clubs, players, managers in all sports always gush about their fans and how ‘this is the best fanbase in the League’ but I think what it confirms about USL is that the fans care,” expressed Phil. “The second the season was suspended, you could have seen a group of fans that just shrugs, curses their luck and then goes on with their hobbies or business but instead you saw fans around the country saying, ‘what can we do to fill the void.’ Now it’s turned into this really cool community of USL fans who are able to connect not just over a video game but over a shared passion for their local clubs that is now being directed into a competition that is ultimately for the other fans that are passionate and miss their team. El Paso is really passionate about Locomotive so it’s only natural that the energy they normally show at matches needs to be directed somewhere!”
You can follow Phil Baki on Twitter (@bakiBalboa) and catch his eUSL games on his twitch channel twitch.tv/bakiavelli.
For more information on the others representing Locomotive FC and the eUSL inaugural season be sure to follow both @eplocomotivefc and @eUSL_ on Twitter.