OpTic, Thieves, and Empire all face important matches in week 3

Week 3 of Stage 2 in the CDL features several must win games for teams either trailing in their groups or holding uneasy leads.

With one week left until the Stage 2 playoffs commence, many teams find themselves at a critical juncture in the fight for seeding.

Can the surging Ravens continue?

Though not the biggest names or the flashiest rosters, this regular season fight for the 3rd place will be integral in the determination of Group A’s final standings. The Ravens have shown immense growth since the roster switch up that brought Zed aboard. Finding their first 2 wins since their initial 0-5 start in Stage 1, the Ravens now lead in round win% for SND and placed 3rd for Control. 

The last meeting between these two teams occurred in the Stage 1 playoffs where Toronto edged out a 3-2 victory. Toronto’s downward trajectory that contrasts quite starkly with their past success may provide a different outcome in favor of the surging Ravens.

The battle for LA gets another chapter

Another rematch from the past Major, the LA Thieves will face off against the LA Guerillas on Sunday, April 4th. In one of the organization’s best showing to dates, the Guerillas had early momentum in the tournament, as well as coming into their group, by usurping the favored Thieves. 

LA Thieves’ risky roster move, cutting Temp and adding rookie Venom, has so far not panned out to expectations as the team has gone 0-2 since the change. Thankfully for the Thieves, the Guerillas have also seen limited success as they have yet to claim their first series win in Stage 2. If the Thieves hope to activate the potential of their roster, this game must be their catalyst.

OpTic versus Empire

Another match up between expected giants, both have found middling results in Stage 2. Dallas Empire occupy an uneasy 3-way tie for first place while OpTic found themselves in a 1-2 deficit by dropping two games last week. Dashy has largely been the target of the CDL community’s ire and will need to have a standout week to shake his team out of this rut. While both of OpTic’s games are important, a win against the Stage 1 finalist would show that OpTic is still not too far from competing with the best still.

For Dallas Empire, a win here would solidify their top spot in Group B, which has proved more contentious than originally thought. Huke’s performance, isolated in Stage 2, has been lackluster compared to previous showings, though we all know this team has the capability to take off. 

Also read:

• CDL Stage 2 Week 2 recap
• Temp benched by LA Thieves

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Image Credit: Call of Duty League