The second event of the CDL season has come to a close, with the Chicago Huntsmen winning last weekend’s tournament. The London Royal Ravens tied for third, although they’re not quite satisfied with that finish.
A rematch of the week 1 battle in which the Ravens won 3-0 although the scoreline didn’t tell the whole story. The Ravens still managed to pull off the victory but it was a 3-2 win, much closer than their initial matchup. The Ravens found themselves down early 0-2, but pulled off a reverse sweep. Be it the energy of the crowd, the players finding their groove or finally playing the way they should’ve been, London have found a way to win three games in a row.
Player of the match: Wuskin
Wuksin has been playing lights out through the first two events of the year, silencing his doubters coming into the season. Throughout the offseason, Wuksin wasn’t considered to be anywhere near a top player. However, throughout the first two events, he’s held the highest kill/death ratio of any player in the CDL.
In their second match of the event, the Ravens once again won, this time in a more comfortable 3-1 fashion. This game had high stakes, as the winner would move on to the semifinals of the tournament.
Toronto are the only team in the league that is truly 10 players deep. They have their ‘A’ team, who performed this past weekend, and their ‘B’ team, who scrims and practices to prepare for when their moment comes. This is one of the more interesting situations in the league, as their team hasn’t had as much practice together as some other teams, since they’re splitting time practicing with different variations of rosters.
The Ravens, however, are a very cohesive group, one that includes the twins in Skrapz and Wuskin. The chemistry London had was evident throughout the series, as their teamwork helped propel them to the win.
Player of the match: Dylan
Dylan spread chaos throughout the map with his quick, decisive movement. Being a Submachine gun player, it’s his role to be the front line and be right in the enemy’s faces. Dylan takes this tactic to a different level. He’s one of the most aggressive players in the league, making it not only easier for his team to push forward and gain positioning, but also allows him to roam free.
In the semifinal matchup, the Dallas Empire squeaked out a victory over London, 3-2. The map went down to the last round on the last map, which went in favor of the Empire.
Dallas, a team with lots of experience and potential, hadn’t quite found their groove before this weekend. However, throughout the event, they began to look more and more comfortable. During this series with the Ravens, they showed adversity throughout the close series, in which they went down 0-2.
Although the Ravens dropped the series and were knocked out of the event, they played Dallas, who is one of the top teams, very close and lost in a heartbreaking fashion. The two teams were trading shots, making explosive play after explosive play, but ultimately, Dallas’ experience showed. They stayed calm, cool and collected in an intense final match.
Player of the match: Huke
With a mixture of both experience and raw skill, Huke showed why he’s considered one of the players with the highest potential throughout the league. Huke had huge games in both the respawn game modes and the search and destroys. He had huge games in both the hardpoints, as he had the ability to play both aggressive and passive as the flex player for the Empire.
The Mutineers are a uniquely interesting team in the CDL. They have a former world champion in Prestinni, and players who had huge Black Ops 4 seasons as well. However, their team lacks a true superstar player, which could be a good thing for their squad.
Looking at the matchup, it’ll certainly be close. The Mutineers’ skill is still unknown, as they had two close matchups in the first weekend and didn’t play in London. One of their clear strengths is their Search and Destroy abilities. Throughout the first weekend, they were dominant and showed that they’d clearly practiced the mode.
The London Royal Ravens, however, are also quite strong in their Search and Destroys. The deciding factor in this series will be who can take these searches, as London should be able to dominate the respawn game modes.
Prediction: London wins 3-1
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