The Major Tournament II stage of the Call of Duty League has kicked off and sparks are already flying amongst the competitors and fans alike. As the competition opened up, we saw two incredible sweeps, with the LA Thieves wiping Paris Legion off the board, and Florida Mutineers bidding the Los Angeles Guerrillas a fond farewell.
It was a particularly dominant victory from the Thieves, who absolutely devastated Paris Legion in back-to-back victories, claiming a 6 – 0 Search and Destroy win and an effortless 3 – 0 round of Control. This now marks the second occasion in which Paris Legion has fallen out of the first round of the Major Tournament.
The Underdog Card
But tonight, we’re set to bear witness to four incredible matches, bursting at the seams with potential, top-tier talent, and raw, underdog spirit. The second day of the Major Tournament II stage opens with a bout between the reigning champions, Dallas Empire, and the relatively rookie side of the New York Subliners.
Now, we’ve got some real veteran talent facing off here, as, between them, Clayster (NY) and Crimsix (DAL) boast more than two decades of competitive experience. It’s honestly anyone’s game, and there are just ten points between these two sides in the Call of Duty League standings. However, I’m a huge backer of that underdog spirit, so my money (should I engage in a little Call of Duty betting) is on the New York Subliners.
Time For Redemption
In the second match of the evening, we’ll see Toronto Ultra face-off against OpTic Chicago, who has exhibited an inconsistent form in recent weeks. When these sides last met, OpTic walked away with a hard-fought 3 – 1 victory, but Ultra, still relatively fresh from a recent roster shake-up, has been fairly well recently. I’m desperate for the OpTic Chicago side to live up to that name and redeem itself throughout this Major, so that’s my pick.
We’re also going to be treated to another LA Thieves vs. Royal Ravens battle. Of course, it was the Thieves that gave LRR its first Call of Duty League victory this season, with the London side devasting the LA team in a massive 3 – 1 win. Can they repeat that performance, or will the LA Thieves find a little redemption and push them from the Major Tournament? I’m thinking Thieves’ new roster will pay off, and they’ll snatch the win.
Making Waves
Finally, tonight’s play will wrap up with a low-table scrap between the Florida Mutineers and Seattle Surge, arguably the most underdog-ish side in the Call of Duty League right now. It was the Mutineers who destroyed Surge’s Major Tournament hopes in the last showdown, but since then, Surge picked up a win against the Florida side.
It’s arguably neck-and-neck at the moment, but neither team has really been performing well recently, and at the moment, they’re both sitting on a two-match losing streak. Which team will be the first to break it? I’m in Seattle Surge’s corner here.
