Football Queensland (FQ) E-Series participants have learned their fate after the Second Group Stage drew to a close over the weekend.
Players from across regional and South East Queensland booked a spot in the Knockout Stage of the competition, which will kick off this weekend with the Round of 32.
Brisbane and Gold Coast representatives make up the majority of players who have qualified for the Round of 32 across all competitions, while Central Queensland boasts the highest number of regional participants remaining in the FQ E-Series after the Second Group Stage, including seven in the PS4 Juniors competition alone (second highest after Brisbane).
Clubs boasting the strongest representation in the Round of 32 include Central Queensland’s Bluebirds FC (5 players) and South East Queensland-based Rochedale Rovers and Brisbane City (4 players each).
Other regional clubs with a number of players remaining in the competition include Frenchville FC in Central Queensland and North Queensland’s Brothers Townsville (three players each), while Gold Coast clubs Nerang FC and Gold Coast United are each represented by three players.
The Round of 32 fixtures will be confirmed this Friday (more information below), and the stakes will be as high as ever as players have just one chance to progress to the FQ E-Series Round of 16.
Each Round of 32 fixture will consist of one leg only, with the winner progressing to the next round. If scores are level at full time, players will replay the match until a winner is decided at the completion of the match.
The deadline for Round of 32 matches for all participants will be this Sunday, 28 June. If any players are unable to complete their Round of 32 match by Sunday, they must inform FQ as soon as possible on marketing@footballqueensland.com.au
The Round of 16 draw will take place next Wednesday, and will also include the draw for the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Grand Finals.
FQ yesterday announced the prizes for the FQ E-Series competition, with Xbox and PS4 Junior winners taking home a $100 rebel gift card and both Senior winners receiving a $100 Statewide Sports voucher. The winner of each competition will also be awarded an FQ E-Series trophy.
Round of 32 Fixtures
To determine Round of 32 fixtures, players will be drawn against an opponent based on their final positions in their Second Group Stage pool (1v4, 2v3), with the higher seeded participant playing as the ‘home’ team.
All Round of 32 fixtures will be confirmed this Friday on the FQ website and social media channels, with the deadline for the match to be played by this Sunday, 28 June.
More information on the Knockout Stage format is available in the FQ E-Series Competition Rules.
View the full list of participants who qualified for the Round of 32 here.