De League Cup

The 2013 League Cup is currently ongoing!

The De League Cup is a fictional tournament, simulated by 8 A.I. teams on the Konami association football game Pro Evolutuon Soccer 2013. The teams participating in it and entirely fictional, but based on factual personae. The word "tournament" is used liberally in De League Cup, given that there is no prize for the champion of any shape or form, nor is the tournament relevant to anyone but its own creator. In fact, to any third party observer, this might seem just like a giant load of autism. Which it is .

Tournament Format
League Round

The "tournament" format is pretty straightforward. There are 8 teams competing in the group, who will play a single league round circle of matches, meaning that every team will play against the remaining 7 teams in their group once. The league round is formatted in matchdays - a day in which every team will play one competitive fixture against a randomly picked opponent. To view a full list of all scheduled matchdays - click here.

Teams will be sorted in the league table based on the standard association football point system. Each win yields 3 points to the winning team, while a draw yields 1 point to both teams.

Teams will be sorted across the table based on the amount of points they have accumulated during their 7 competitive fixtures. If two teams have the same amount of points accummulated, then their goal difference will come in play (goals scored - goals conceded). Should, by incredible coincidence, both their points and goal difference be the same, those two teams will play off in a preliminary match, where points will not be won, but goal difference can still be changed. At the end of the final matchday (Matchday 7), the group table will be split into two parts. The top 4 will be involved in the Championship Playoffs, while the bottom 4 will be involved in the Relegation Playoffs.

Unlike most real-world championships, finishing 1st in the group table will not guarantee a championship.

Relegation Playoffs
The relegation playoffs are the first type of knockout round matches to be played and will consist of the bottom half of the table (places 5,6,7,8), once sorted after the league round. There will be two direct elimination matches based on the standard association football one-leg knockout match format. Meaning one match is played and the team with the least goals scored automatically loses the game. Should the match end in a draw, extra time and penalties settle the game.

The 5th placed team faces off against the 8th placed team, while the 6th placed team faces off with the 7th placed team. The two teams that emerge victorious will continue to compete in the next season of De League Cup (if one is even hosted). The two teams that lose will be relegated.

Considering that there is no lower division of De League, relegation automatically means the team ceases to exist.



Championship Playoffs
The championship playoffs are the second and final knockout round matches to be played and will consist of the top half of the table (places 1,2,3,4), once sorted after the league round. Like the above round, these matches will also consist on a direct elimination single-leg basis. However, there will be a semi final and a final to determine the champion of De League.

The 1st placed team faces off against the 4th placed team, while the 2nd placed team faces off with the 3rd placed team. The only advantage being in a higher league position gives you is playing against a theoretically weaker opponent and also winning you the home field advantage in the playoff match. However there is no guarantee as to who will go through to the last round. The 3rd and 4th placed teams can still theoretically become champions. As controversial as that is, the format of the tourmanet is non-negotiable for the time being.