VBL: TSG into the finals after 5-2 win over Leverkusen

Reaching the Final Chance round by finishing fourth in the south-eastern division should be considered a huge success in the team's debut season. The Hoffenheim eSPORTS team have now put the icing on the cake by deservedly beating Bayer 04 Leverkusen 5-2 (1-1, 1-0, 1-1). This means TSG are among the top eight teams in Germany who will compete in the final of the VBL Club Championship on 27 and 28 March. The dream of the playoffs has turned into the dream of the title. 

The opening encounter of the tie with Leverkusen saw TSG duo Lukas 'Lukas_1004' Seiler and Jan-Luca 'Bassinho' Bass take on Bayer pros Kai 'deto_official' Wollin and Marc 'marc_ldw23' Landwehr in a 2 vs. 2 match-up on the Xbox One. The first sight of goal fell to Leverkusen in the 13th minute, but 'Lukas_1004' and 'Bassinho' were able to clear the ball to safety from the danger area. The Werkself duo had the better of the opening stages but weren't able to turn their superiority into genuine chances. The TSG team adopted a more attacking approach around the half-hour mark, but they were soon punished for leaving too much space at the back: some tidy interplay from Leverkusen in the Hoffenheim box led to a shot on goal from 12 metres out rippling the left-hand corner of the TSG net to bring the score to 1-0 (40). 

The Rhinelanders continued to pose a threat after the interval - an all-or-nothing sliding tackle from TSG was required to deny a gilt-edged chance in the 51st minute. Down the other end, a slick Hoffenheim move on the counter fizzled out due to an overhit cross from the right-wing (54). As the half progressed, it was Leverkusen who maintained a grip on proceedings, moving the ball around the park with ease; Seiler and Bass were having a hard time against the precise passing of 'deto_official' and 'marc_ldw23'. However, some ambitious attacking play was enough to earn a penalty kick with the clock ticking down. TSG held their nerve from the spot: a deft chip into the left-hand corner eluded the keeper and brought the two sides level at 1-1 (72). Other than the TSG keeper being forced into a decent save in the 86th minute, the closing stages brought little in the way of goalscoring opportunities. Nothing could separate the two sides and the game ended 1-1. 

'Lukas_1004' picks up the decisive PS4 win

The draw meant that at least three games would be played. In the first individual match-up, 'Lukas_1004' took on 'marc_ldw23' on the PlayStation 4. The TSG player found himself under immediate pressure: Landwehr got through on goal but failed to capitalise on the opportunity due to what looked like an accidental McGeady spin (6). A few minutes later, a Seiler shot was denied by the woodwork (11), while down the other end, the TSG keeper did well to keep out a lobbed effort (13). The frantic start to the match continued, as both players looked to get men forward in search of an opener. In the 31st minute, 'Lukas_1004' drilled a shot wide of the far-corner. Perhaps he should have squared it to a better-placed teammate in the middle. Although the tempo dropped somewhat as the first period drew to a close, the spectators were nonetheless treated to an exciting half of virtual football. 

Upon resumption of play, both players were more conservative in their approach and the match became sloppier overall. Landwehr sought a more direct approach to goal, but it was Seller who had the biggest chance: he managed to find himself a yard ahead of the Bayer defenders but couldn't quite get a shot off in time (68). 'Lukas_1004' had come to life all of a sudden, and a strong save from the Leverkusen goalkeeper was required to prevent him taking the lead in the 73rd minute. The TSG player continued to press for the all-important opening goal and was soon rewarded for his efforts: a deft dummy shot created space for a shot and he duly hammered the ball into the top-right corner (76). 'marc_ldw23' did his best to muster up a response, opting a high press to try and force an error from the TSG defence. Try as he might, he couldn't strike back and the game ended 1-0 in favour of 'Lukas_1004'.

The victory on the PS4 meant that 'Bassinho' needed just a draw in the Final Chance match on the Xbox One. His opponent from Leverkusen - Fabian 'B04 Dubzje' De Cae - needed a win to keep his side in the competition. Bass got off to a positive start and made it clear that he wasn't playing for a 0-0 draw. TSG had plenty of possession deep in the Bayer half, but the final ball into the box was just lacking. In the 30th minute, dangerous cross from the left-wing proved a stern test for the Leverkusen keeper, but he was able to gather. Two minutes later, 'Bassinho' tried his luck from a tight angle but was again thwarted by the keeper. Bass was the more dangerous and pro-active of the two players, but he was unable to find a goal before half-time as the two sides went in with the score stuck at 0-0. 

'Bassinho' started the second half on the front foot and was unlucky not to open the scoring in the 49th minute: a last-ditch challenge from 'B04 Dubzje' was just enough to deny a TSG attacker as the goal was gaping. The match sparked to life on the hour mark: first, what looked like the opening goal for Leverkusen was pulled back for offside (60), then, down the other end, Bass fired a delightful right-footed shot into the back of the net to give TSG a 1-0 lead (62). In response, the Bayer pro  pushed as many bodies forward as possible, giving 'Bassinho' lots of space to attack on the counter. In the 67th minute, the Leverkusen goalkeeper did well to make the save after TSG had surged forward on the break. Not long afterwards, it was the TSG keeper who had to be alert to the danger as 'B04 Dubzje' tried to sneak a shot into the near-corner (74). De Cae kept up his determination and was able to make things interesting when he brought the score to 1-1 in the 85th minute. The equaliser meant the Werkself now had their tails up and in the 90th minute, they had the big chance to keep themselves in the tie: however an exceptional save from the TSG keeper meant it was Hoffenheim who could book their place in the finals of the competition.