The Portland Timbers are set to sign a new player Thursday, but Edgar Guerrero won't be lacing up his boots or taking the field on game days.

Instead, Guerrero will represent the Timbers in eMLS, a new competitive EA Sports FIFA 18 league that will feature elite gamers from 19 different Major League Soccer clubs.

"It's my local home team," said Guerrero, 23. "So, it's a big thing for me."

A McMinnville native, Guerrero grew up playing competitive soccer, following the Timbers and competing with his friends on the FIFA video game. Over the years, he developed into one of the most skilled players in FIFA within the United States. He is ranked among the top 20 gamers in the U.S. for 1v1 play in FIFA, is ranked No. 1 in the world individually for 11v11 play, has won two Copa America FIFA tournaments in 11v11 play and recently captained Club America's FIFA 11v11 18 team.

And when MLS announced the creation of eMLS in January, Guerrero saw an opportunity to combine his passion for video games with his love for the sport. He immediately reached out to the Timbers and, after an in-depth interview process, was chosen to represent his hometown team in the new gaming league.

Guerrero and top gamers from 18 other MLS teams will compete in the first-ever eMLS Cup from April 5-8 at PAX East in Boston. The winners of the 1v1 tournament will earn an automatic berth to the EA Sports FIFA 18 Global Series Playoff where they will compete for a chance to move on to the FIFA eWorld Cup in August and the ultimate honor of being crowned FIFA 18 World Champion.

"I think people are starting to see that it's a real thing. There is real interest in this and it's expanding pretty fast," Guerrero said. "It's very exciting. It's good exposure for the MLS teams and eSports."

MLS is one multiple professional leagues in the United States that has strived to deepen its involvement in eSports in recent years in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of video games and engage with both current and potential fans.

The announcement of eMLS in January came after the NBA announced the creation of a similar NBA 2K League last year and the NFL held a Madden NFL Club Championship competition this past season. The NHL has also announced its intention to create its own eSports league by the end of the year.

But with the youngest fan base of any top league in North America, MLS is particularly well-suited to capitalize on the deep interest in eSports among millennials. Prior to launching eMLS, MLS had previously partnered with EA Sports to unveil its new crest within the FIFA video game and had worked with the company to have a fictional character within the game join the LA Galaxy.

"We understand the importance of being able to engage through this channel," MLS Senior Director of Properties and Events James Ruth said. "MLS has two times as many gamers as a percentage of our fan base as any other North American sports league. So, we already have a ton of gamers following our league. We also have a lot of gamers, who maybe aren't traditional soccer fans, but they're playing FIFA 18. We think this is a fantastic way to get them closer to MLS and also the traditional sport via gaming."

Before the announcement of eMLS, the Timbers were already making an effort to get more involved in the eSports space and learn more about video game culture. Last season, the club partnered with Portland resident and highly-popular gamer Brennon O'Neill, who livestreamed his experience at Providence Park before a Timbers match on Twitch.tv.

With Guerrero on board, the Timbers plan to put an even greater emphasis on engaging fans within the eSports platform this season. Outside of the eMLS competition, the Timbers hope Guerrero can be involved in creating content, running livestreams and participating in events for the club. The team is also looking at the possibility of running some gaming events with Guerrero, such as a FIFA 18 friendly between Gurerrero and the Seattle Sounders' eSports competitor ahead of a Timbers-Sounders game.

"He is above all else a strong competitor in the space," Timbers Director of Digital Media/Editor in Chief Brian Costello said. "We wanted a player who could definitely hold their own and ideally win things, not necessarily just eMLS Cup, but someone who could progress through as well. We feel that he has the opportunity and ability to do that. I think that's our main goal with him, but we're also looking to him to speak to fans in a different way."

With Guerrero's past success in FIFA, the Timbers are hopeful that their new eSports competitor will be able to advance through the eMLS Cup in April and go on to the represent the club at the FIFA 18 Global Series Playoff this summer.

But no matter how Guerrero fares in the tournament, eSports will remain an important platform for the Timbers and teams across MLS moving forward. Within the eSports space, the Timbers believe that there is an opportunity to continue to provide different experiences for longtime fans and introduce their brand to a new and important demographic.

"When you talk about the scope of the audience, in just FIFA alone, you're talking about millions and millions of people both nationally and internationally that play it," Timbers Senior Vice President of Business Operations & Marketing Cory Dolich said. "That's really powerful."

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg