Some of you might be questioning why I'm giving coverage to the CAL-Main Semi-Finals. Quite simply, because the winners of tonight will head to the finals and as is the tradition of the past, the teams in CAL-Main finals almost always recieve an invite for CAL-i.
UPDATE: All matches have finished, setting the CAL-m finals to be:
Central
GSX vs d0f
Pacific
ecd vs SYB
Atlantic
sR vs Xeno
If CAL adheres to the standards they've held in the past, then all 6 of these teams will be in the next season of CAL-invite. Click through for all my predictions on the now-finished matches![break="Click through"]Matches are on de_dust2.
Central
Mild Mannered vs. Team Gamesimplex
Mild Mannered is a team whose profile fits their name. Despite winning CAL-intermediate last season, they've kept a pretty low profile and aren't very often talked about. Gamesimplex, meanwhile, gets a lot of press due to their strength online and on LAN, especially since they were able to win a LAN event by defeating riot-squad a few months ago. While everyone would lean in GSX's corner, I'm going to predict Mild Mannered. After all, tonight is as good a night as ever to pull an upset, and on such an interesting map like dust2 many things can happen.
Prediction: Mild Mannered -over- Team Gamesimplex :: 13-11
Result: Team Gamesimplex -over- Mild Mannered :: 19-15 (Double Overtime)
The Unreal vs. Dictators 0f Fate
The Unreal is a strong CAL-m team whose hung on pretty tight through this season, dropping the occasional matches. d0f managed to snag the #1 seed in CAL-m Central and have been largely unopposed the whole season. I don't see their train stopping tonight.
Prediction: Dictators 0f Fate -over- The Unreal :: 13-9
Result: Dictators 0f Fate -over- The Unreal :: 13-9
Pacific
eCyberdeck vs. Cyber City Costa Mesa
eCyberdeck was in CAL-invite for a short while when they merged with NEG, but that broke up shortly before CAL-m began this season. Since then they've swept any and all competition and have managed to prove that they have what it takes to go to the next level. Thus, they'll take tonights match over C3M, who while having a great deal of skill, I just don't see as CAL-invite material...yet.
Prediction: eCyberdeck -over- C3M :: 13-7
Result: eCyberdeck -over- C3M :: 13-3
Clan Crisis vs. Short Yellow Bus
This will be a great match, as the Short Yellow Bus was in CAL-invite for two seasons before being moved down. Their first season they went an astonishing 10-6, great for a rookie CAL-i team, and their second season they didn't crack more than 5 if I'm not mistaken. Now they've gotten their second win and made it to the Semi's. Clan Crisis, CAL-intermediate champs a few seasons back, went deep last season's playoffs and are doing so again this season. Unfortunately I just don't see things working out for them tonight. Hopefully CAL will see their strength and dedication and include them in CAL-i moveups.
Prediction: SYB -over- Cc :: 13-9
Result: SYB -over- Cc :: 13-9
Atlantic
silent Reality vs Ice.cs
Ah, the battle of the icelanders. This one should be a cinch to predict, as while I'd love to go in-depth I'm rushing to get these predictions done before the matches are.
Prediction: silent Reality -over- Ice.cs :: 13-8
Result: silent Reality -over- Ice.cs :: 13-1
Xeno -over- deTonation :: 13-6
Seems this match has already finished, but if asked to predict I would have given it to former CAL-invite team xeno (though their roster is completely different nowadays). Nice try making it this far deTonation, a team formerly in CAL-i.
UPDATE: All matches have finished, setting the CAL-m finals to be:
Central
GSX vs d0f
Pacific
ecd vs SYB
Atlantic
sR vs Xeno
If CAL adheres to the standards they've held in the past, then all 6 of these teams will be in the next season of CAL-invite. Click through for all my predictions on the now-finished matches![break="Click through"]Matches are on de_dust2.
Central
Mild Mannered vs. Team Gamesimplex
Mild Mannered is a team whose profile fits their name. Despite winning CAL-intermediate last season, they've kept a pretty low profile and aren't very often talked about. Gamesimplex, meanwhile, gets a lot of press due to their strength online and on LAN, especially since they were able to win a LAN event by defeating riot-squad a few months ago. While everyone would lean in GSX's corner, I'm going to predict Mild Mannered. After all, tonight is as good a night as ever to pull an upset, and on such an interesting map like dust2 many things can happen.
Prediction: Mild Mannered -over- Team Gamesimplex :: 13-11
Result: Team Gamesimplex -over- Mild Mannered :: 19-15 (Double Overtime)
The Unreal vs. Dictators 0f Fate
The Unreal is a strong CAL-m team whose hung on pretty tight through this season, dropping the occasional matches. d0f managed to snag the #1 seed in CAL-m Central and have been largely unopposed the whole season. I don't see their train stopping tonight.
Prediction: Dictators 0f Fate -over- The Unreal :: 13-9
Result: Dictators 0f Fate -over- The Unreal :: 13-9
Pacific
eCyberdeck vs. Cyber City Costa Mesa
eCyberdeck was in CAL-invite for a short while when they merged with NEG, but that broke up shortly before CAL-m began this season. Since then they've swept any and all competition and have managed to prove that they have what it takes to go to the next level. Thus, they'll take tonights match over C3M, who while having a great deal of skill, I just don't see as CAL-invite material...yet.
Prediction: eCyberdeck -over- C3M :: 13-7
Result: eCyberdeck -over- C3M :: 13-3
Clan Crisis vs. Short Yellow Bus
This will be a great match, as the Short Yellow Bus was in CAL-invite for two seasons before being moved down. Their first season they went an astonishing 10-6, great for a rookie CAL-i team, and their second season they didn't crack more than 5 if I'm not mistaken. Now they've gotten their second win and made it to the Semi's. Clan Crisis, CAL-intermediate champs a few seasons back, went deep last season's playoffs and are doing so again this season. Unfortunately I just don't see things working out for them tonight. Hopefully CAL will see their strength and dedication and include them in CAL-i moveups.
Prediction: SYB -over- Cc :: 13-9
Result: SYB -over- Cc :: 13-9
Atlantic
silent Reality vs Ice.cs
Ah, the battle of the icelanders. This one should be a cinch to predict, as while I'd love to go in-depth I'm rushing to get these predictions done before the matches are.
Prediction: silent Reality -over- Ice.cs :: 13-8
Result: silent Reality -over- Ice.cs :: 13-1
Xeno -over- deTonation :: 13-6
Seems this match has already finished, but if asked to predict I would have given it to former CAL-invite team xeno (though their roster is completely different nowadays). Nice try making it this far deTonation, a team formerly in CAL-i.
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