CDL New York is rapidly approaching. Teams competing at CDL New York can breathe a sigh of relief given the Mutineers are not attending. The CDL is officially in the home stretch with three events left until Champs. Teams are running out of time to solidify rosters and strategies ahead of the year’s biggest event. The Huntsmen have a lot to prove and are not the only team with high expectations. All fans’ eyes are on Chicago and Atlanta ahead of CDL New York to see if they will be crowned champions once again. Crunch time is here, which teams will step up?
Courtesy of SCUF Gaming
A big opportunity lies ahead for teams attending CDL New York. The Florida Mutineers, the CDL’s hottest team, and Dallas Empire will not be in attendance. The Mutineers are currently second meanwhile the Empire are fourth in the standings. With half of the top four teams being absent there is a significant opportunity to earn points.
Florida are the best team in the CDL right now. The Mutineers have hit their stride after becoming the first team to win three events. Their unique pace and play style continue to cause problems for opponents. Dallas are a very consistent team and always give teams a run for their money. The Empire are extremely competitive and composed despite the rookies on the roster. They push teams to fourth and fifth maps even when they lose. Which teams will rise to the occasion and jump in the standings?
Chicago are looking to bounce back after their worst performance of the year. The Huntsmen were bounced before Championship Sunday at CDL Minnesota. With the roster Chicago has, missing Championship Sunday is not an option. Plagued by sloppy and inconsistent play, the Huntsmen are capable of much more. Additionally, Chicago has fallen from first to third in the standings. The Huntsmen will look to regain their footing as the pressure mounts in the coming weeks.
CDL New York has the potential to re-solidify Chicago as a top-three team. The few weeks off is perfect for Chicago to regroup and truly get comfortable playing together. One of the biggest questions facing Chicago is will this group mesh better than the team with Gunless? Historically, members of the Huntsmen tend to perform their best when the lights shine brightest. CDL New York is the perfect test to see if the Huntsmen rise to the occasion or fold under the pressure
Courtesy of the Atlanta FaZe
There is no doubt the Atlanta FaZe are a top team in the CDL. Recently, FaZe have fallen from their peak and look more human. Six of Atlanta’s last eight matches have gone the distance to a fifth map. While FaZe won all of these matches, it is unrealistic to assume they will win all fifth maps going forward. It is also worth noting, some of these matches that went the distance were against the weaker teams like the Seattle Surge and Toronto Ultra.
Aside from their recent struggles, the Atlanta FaZe are still sitting in first place in the standings. After the last two events they are looking more human; however, FaZe also have the highest map winning percentage at 84%. If the season ended today, FaZe would have the first seed at Champs. Yet, as the team appears to be showing weaknesses, which top teams will look climb above Atlanta in the standings? Teams will surely be on notice heading into CDL New York and looking to disrupt FaZe’s success.
Both Dallas and Florida are not competing at CDL New York as mentioned earlier. While they are out of the competition, teams sitting at 5th-7th and 9th are also competing. Additionally, the Los Angeles Guerrillas are coming off their best performance of the season despite being in last. These middle of the pack teams are running out of runway. There are not many points left for teams to reach the top of the standings.
The Minnesota ROKKR are coming off a disappointing home series where they failed to make Championship Sunday. Alexx was not in the lineup, but the ROKKR have struggled recently. It is sink or swim for the ROKKR.
The New York Subliners have been extremely dangerous since adding Mack to the roster. Their recent performances earned them spots on Championship Sunday and more CDL points than they had early in the season. If the Subliners play with slightly more consistency at their home series, they might just walk away with the king’s share of CDL points.
It has been a frustrating season for London fans. Countless times the Royal Ravens are close to beating many of the top teams. They have made one final this year, but a lack of consistency is plaguing London. When the Royal Ravens need to be clutch most their luck tends to run out. Slightly more consistency will lead to better results and a higher seed heading into Champs.
Featured image courtesy of the Call of Duty League
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