Power Rankings: Lower League eCup, Week 0

Hey look, we can finally put another Power Rankings post out!

SmallWorld will be posting as much as possible on the Lower League eCup over the next month or so, since it’s the closest to soccer we have right now. And plus, SmallWorld is in it!

That said, we’ll predict the finishing order of SmallWorld’s group, Xbox One Group C, as well as the winner of each group on each console, and then the final four, finalists, and winner on Xbox.

Let’s take a look at Group C in the group stage first. Every team will be on the automatically 85-rated setting, so the team’s real-life quality won’t have any impact on matches. Here are the teams and the FIFA clubs they’re paired with.

• SmallWorld Soccer, Preston North End (EFL Champ.)
• Olde Fields Battalion [NPSL], Crotone (Serie B)
• Northshore United [GCPL], Real Oviedo (LaLiga SmartBank)
• Louisiana Krewe [GCPL], Lorient (Ligue 2)
• Hoboken FC 1912 [Cosmopolitan Soccer League], Nancy (Ligue 2)
• Jacksonville Armada [NPSL], Melbourne City (A-League)

That’s a pretty solid lineup, and a surprising amount of Gulf Coast-area clubs. I can’t wait to get started and can only hope to hold my own in a group this strong!

With that being said, let’s see where I see myself and the rest of the teams finishing up at the end of the group stage:

1. Olde Fields Battalion: They’re a fun group, and I feel like they would be really good at FIFA. @thatswamplife1 is representing them, and I’ll be honest, I’m more than a little intimidated. I’m thinking he’ll pose a challenge for anybody in the eCup and take the top spot here in a talented group.
2. Hoboken FC 1912: I know little to nothing about Hoboken, which makes me think they’re going to absolutely demolish me and perform really well. From what I can gather, they’re an awesome club doing some cool things, though, so I’ll be partially happy for them when I lose by 9 goals to them.
3. Jacksonville Armada: This is a former professional team, here; they played in the NASL for a while. They’re in the NPSL now, and they’ve had a good amount of success there on the field. On the eSports pitch, though, who knows? I think they’ll be in the hunt for a spot in the Knockout Stage.
4. Northshore United: They have a great-looking logo and overall design, and they’ve been pretty successful in the GCPL. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have somebody on their team who’s a FIFA beast, so I’ll be looking out for Northshore when we face off.
5. Louisiana Krewe: The Lafayette-based club seem pretty awesome, but they’ve got some really challenging opponents in this group. I certainly don’t expect them to be pushovers, and they could really do some damage in Group C and beyond.
6. SmallWorld Soccer: And then there’s me. I was pleasantly surprised to make it to the finals of the Celebrity Cup a couple of days ago, but I’m fully aware and content with the fact that my success in this eCup is probably over! Maybe some more magic is on the cards, but I’m just going to enjoy interacting with some clubs I love and having a respite for the times we’re in.

Now, let’s progress to my predictions for all the other groups. There are quite a few, so buckle up.

Xbox:

Group A – Inter Detroit FC, UPSL

Group B – First State FC, NPSL (although this seems like the Group of Death to me. Palm Beach Breakers, Savannah Clovers, and Metro Louisville are all in this group as well!)

Group C – Olde Fields Batallion

Group D – LSA Athletico Lanier

Group E – FC Buffalo

Group F – South Georgia Tormenta FC (this is a tough group as well, with Forward Madison and Asheville City)

Group G – Dynamo FC St. Cloud

Group H – Denton Diablos (after losing to their owner Damon in the Celebrity Cup final, I can confirm that they will be very good at this)

Group I – Minneapolis City SC

Group J – Lane United FC

Group K – Vacaville Elite (this one is an all-UPSL group, interestingly enough)

Group L – River Town FC

PS4:

Group A – Districtonia Futbol

Group B – Palm Beach Breakers (Group B is a group of death here as well! Providence City and Livonia City both catch my eye as challengers to the Breakers)

Group C – ADASL (this was a toss-up with NY International, who I also expect to be really good and make a playoff run)

Group D – First State FC (okay and we’ve found the ultimate group of death! The Citizens of MPLS City, Forward Madison, Tallahassee SC, AND Atlantic City? This will be a tough one)

Group E – Dekalb County United

Group F – Greenville Triumph

Group G – Florida Tropics SC

Group H – Oakland Roots

Group I – Blue Battalion

Group J – Dakota Fusion

Group K – Colorado Rush

Group L – Bell County FC

Group M – Protagonist Soccer (Phil Baki put on a show on the PS4 side of the Celebrity Cup. Really glad he doesn’t play Xbox)

PC: South Bend Lions (this one should be fun, with the likes of Oakland County, Union Dubuque, and Metro Louisville involved)

Now, switching back to Xbox, let’s predict the Final 4 of the Knockouts!

Semifinal 1: Minneapolis City vs Olde Fields Battalion

I see a goal-scoring frenzy between these two sides, but I’m going with the Crows to pull it out in the end and reach the final.

Semifinal 2: Inter Detroit vs South Georgia Tormenta

I’m confident Tormenta has some really high-quality FIFA players, but for some reason, I just feel like Inter Detroit is hiding a FIFA pro somewhere in their ranks. I see them winning a scrappy battle.

Final: Minneapolis City vs Inter Detroit

I still can’t shake the idea that there’s somebody involved with Inter that’s going to shock the world here. I think Inter Detroit take this one by a large margin and win the eCup in style.

Well, there’s my highly informed and certified accurate predictions for the Lower League eCup! Make sure to stay tuned to their Twitter page, @lowerleagueEcup for the latest information on schedules, standings, and other news! The schedule should be going live later today, so look out for when you can watch SmallWorld embarrass itself!

Thanks for reading and for following our eCup experience. As always,

Support local soccer, unify those around you, and seek out diversity!

Blessings,

Danny