The first round of the PS4 Pro Circuit qualifiers saw AUSFIFA.com player Raheem secure his place at the Main Event on August 13 in Melbourne at The Sporting Globe.
Raheem is over the moon about becoming the first PS4 player to reach the Main Event and is confident he can improve even further ahead of the Main Event.
He spoke to Outside90.com contributor Jordan Gifkins about the pressure of being labelled as the best FIFA player in Australia and how he’ll tackle the Main Event on August 13.
Jordan: Firstly, congratulations on being the first PS4 player to qualify for the Pro Circuit Main Event to be held on August 13th in Melbourne. How do you feel now knowing you’ve booked your place in the finals?
Raheem: Very emotional! I’ve played against a lot of good players and crazy formations throughout the qualifying stage. It’ll be my first FIFA live event I’ve participated in, so I’m glad I qualified and I’m looking forward to it.
Jordan: You’re heavily regarded as one of the best head to head FIFA players in Australia. Did you feel any extra pressure leading into the qualifiers and particularly the Grand Final?
Raheem: It’s never easy when some people expect you to win, but I always try to focus and play the same against everyone, regardless of who I’m playing against.
Jordan: You’ve showed over and over that you can match it with the best Australia has to offer. Is there anyone that you can’t beat?
Raheem: Yes, I’ve lost to few people on AUSFIFA and H2H online. It’s very difficult in FIFA to win every game, regardless of my opponents ability. I don’t believe I’ve reached that level just yet.
Pro Circuit general details
- Only for registered AUSFIFA.com members
- Registration is free
- Only 18+ are allowed to register
- Four qualifying rounds in total
- Premium AUSFIFA members will be granted priority access to registration for qualifiers 3 and 4 and then open to public after 48 hours
- 64 contestants on both PS4 and Xbox platforms
- Please only register if you are able to travel to Melbourne for the Main Event
- Finalists who progress to Main Event will be responsible for their own travel arrangements to Melbourne
- Eight finalists will be drawn randomly in to a quarter-finals knock-out format for the Main Event
- Four figure cash prize for the winner of the Main Event
Jordan: I hear you’re a big fan of using Real Madrid. Why them as opposed to other strong sides such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich?
Raheem: I’ve been using Real Madrid since the start of FIFA 16. Real Madrid and Barcelona are both top clubs but in physical comparison, I found Madrid were the better side. Bayern Munich is also a good club but I believe it suits more defensive types of players.
Jordan: How will you prepare for the Main Event?
Raheem: I’ve been busy with studies lately. But when available, I’ll be playing some H2H games online. The best way to prepare for any event or competition is to just play the game, and this will be no different.
Jordan: Are you confident you’ll be able to win the Pro Circuit down in Melbourne in August?
Raheem: Can’t say I am because you never know what could happen. But I believe I’ll be a lot more comfortable playing at the event compared to online.
Jordan: Lastly, do you have any advice for players striving to reach the level that you’re currently at?
Raheem: Improving your game I found takes time. I can tell anyone everything I know about FIFA but it wouldn’t really help them improve. There’s a lot of different things to use when playing the game. For example, passing, crossing, jockey movement in defence, controlled dribbling and skill moves. It’s about using the right ones at the right time. The quicker you can perform this, the harder it is for opponents. This can only be done by playing the game.
Jordan: Cheers mate, best of luck in Melbourne!
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