Zelli0n
FCPro World Championship – a Brief Introduction
The FCPro World Championship brought together elite FIFA players from all across the globe, competing for the prestigious title. The event’s format was split into 2 stages, one being the main event, and the second was the play-ins, in which Brandsha primarily took part. There were a total of 4 groups consisting of 5 players each, all from different nations. Brandsha was placed in Group A, facing off against players from Morocco, Ireland, Peru, as well as Bulgaria.
Group Stage Performance from Brandsha at the FCPro WC
His first opponent was Domenico Suarez, also known as DMs10_fc who is a 3-time Peruvian champion. Brandsha started this match-up in the brightest way possible, leading by 2 goals, however he conceded in the final minutes of the game which resulted in a draw for Brandsha, earning him his first point in groups.
His second fixture was against the Irish JP Sleator, which resulted in a loss for Brandsha, and later on took on the Bulgarian champion Georgi “jorjewin” Georgiev. Here Brandsha proved all his doubters wrong by grabbing his first win of the group stage, earning him his first 3 points.
His final match of the group was against the Moroccan champion xcharifx. Brandsha describes this match as the toughest game he’d had throughout the play-ins. In this fixture Shaun was leading by 2 goals and due to his placement in the group, he had to go for a match-win as a draw would have not been enough for him to qualify to the next stage of the event. Due to this situation, Brandsha remained aggressive all-throughout the fixture, which exposed his back lines and eventually conceded to lose the match and end the group stage in 5th place.
Group A – Final Standings
| Group A | Player | W-D-L | Goal Difference | Points |
| 1 | xcharifx | 3-0-1 | +6 | 9 |
| 2 | JP Sleator | 2-0-2 | -4 | 6 |
| 3 | Dms10_fc | 1-2-1 | +1 | 5 |
| 4 | jorjewin | 1-1-2 | -1 | 4 |
| 5 | brandsha | 1-1-2 | -2 | 4 |
Here’s what Brandsha had to say after his participation at the FCPro World Championship:
What does your typical training routine look like when preparing for a major competition? – How do you balance practice and strategy development?
Before the eCL and FCPro World Championship, I started practicing against top tier players rather than random pros, which helped tremendously with my gameplay. I recorded all my practice sessions and did my utmost to analyse what my opposing players were doing well, so that I would recognise where I went wrong and what I could improve on.
How do you handle the pressure of high-stakes matches and maintain focus during critical moments? – Are there any specific techniques or mindsets that help you stay composed?
I suffer from anxiety the day before the competition, however when it’s gameday, I feel calm, collective, knowing if I do my best, there is nothing to feel anxious about ,and play without any regrets from my side. Previously there were times where I would lose because I felt the anxiety take over, but from that moment onwards I didn’t want to feel that regret ever again.
How do you keep up with the constantly evolving meta and new updates in the FIFA series?
The updates and patches don’t necessarily change the game completely. Whatever meta is most viable during release, is usually maintained till the game’s ending. That being said, I still make sure to adapt to the best strategies by playing the game for a variety of hours.
How do you see the future of FIFA esports and your career within it? – What are your long-term goals and aspirations in the world of competitive gaming?
In the coming months, new football games are releasing which may be an advantage to EAFC competitors such as myself. Mainly because this may increase the involvement from the developers to increase competitions and opportunities. With regards to my career, I will keep doing what I do, prioritising quality of practice rather than quantity and hopefully will be able to have opportunities like these, so I’m able to express my abilities on a global scale.
As a final question, we saw a clip online posted by the official EA Sports FC Pro account where you scored a last minute goal with Haaland, achieving your first win in the play-ins against Jorjewin, how did that feel like?
This year my weakest quality has always been defending, however through multiple practice sessions and analysis, I felt like I defended really well at the FCPro World Championship. So with regards to that fixture, defending so late in the game and scoring in the final minute felt really good of course. I switched Haaland’s position and had composure to wait for him to see where Jorje moved his GK, as soon as he moved him I shot on the opposite side.
Despite the result, Brandsha has truly shown his abilities on the big stage and he’s certainly made each and every one of his supporters proud!
MIHAJA
