The fourth season of ESEA’s TF2 Invite league is drawing to a close and it’s almost playoff time! There are only two matches left to be played, with Point and Click having to play against 20ID (on cp_waste) and Loaded (on cp_gravelpit). These matches however will have no effect on final standings or playoff spots, so it’ll be interesting to see if they actually happen, or if they’re taken seriously.
In last week’s match between Strickland Propane and Vicious Gaming, Strickland Propane grabbed the final spot with a 4-3 overtime victory. Their prize: a match up against the league’s top team, Evil Geniuses. The other opening round match will be between the #2 and #3 teams, 20ID and Loaded.
Click read more for a full analysis of match ups and predictions...
The format will be the fairly standard 4-team double-elimination bracket and the map choice will be as follows. The opening round will be played on cp_granary. The teams that lose in the first match will play each other on cp_yukon. The Upper-Bracket finals between the two winning teams will be played on cp_gravelpit. Whoever wins that match will advance to the Finals while the losing team will have to play in the Lower-Bracket finals on cp_badlands.
In the championship round, the lower-bracket team will need to win two in a row in order to take the title home. The first map to be played will be Badlands and in the case of a victory by the lower-bracket team the title will be decided in the tie-breaking map Gravel Pit.
Now lets take a look at the matchups:
EG vs. Strickland Propane:
EG is on fire this season with their only loss coming early in the season from 20ID on cp_badlands, arguably 20IDs best map. Strickland’s put up a good season, but with two 5-0 loses on Granary against 20ID and Loaded, expect EG to roll em up and smoke em 5-0.
20ID vs Loaded:
This match is the one to watch in the opening round. Both teams undoubtedly have plenty of experience playing on granary and it should lead to a very exciting match. There is a ton of talent on both teams, and it’s tough to say who or what will win the match. If Saber07 and A_Seagull are both capable of providing match-winning frags and Loaded will have to make sure to contain them. A common criticism against Loaded is their inconsistency, but if they show up as a team they could definitely pull out a win. My prediction is for 20ID to win 5-3, though a close 5-4 win wouldn’t surprise me.
Lower Bracket 1st Round:
Strickland Propane has a very slim chance of getting past EG, and if they want to stay in the playoffs they’re going to have to pull off a win in the Lower Bracket against either 20ID or Loaded on cp_yukon. Yukon wasn’t played in last year’s playoffs and compared to the other maps to be played is relatively new to the competitive rotation. This will benefit Strickland, but they will still be the underdog in this match regardless of who they play.
Upper Bracket Finals:
In last season’s playoff, EG defeated Complexity on cp_gravelpit in a closely contested match. This match will surely be just as exciting as GravelPit presents an interesting change of pace from the regular 5-control point maps. Reptile is a GPit veteran and EG has shown that they can use their utility classes appropriately on this map. If 20ID is their opponent, its gonna get bloody. I’m picking EG to win 2-1, because they’ve just been so dominate this season and they’re not going to miss their chance to go into the championship round with a huge advantage.
Lower Bracket Finals:
One way or another, this match will most likely be 20ID vs Loaded. Considering it’s going to be played on cp_badlands, a map in which 20ID dominated EG twice in last season’s playoffs and scored the only win against them this season, 20ID is going to win. Saber07 was a big game-changer for 20ID in the aforementioned maps and look for them to hold it down with their brutal Badlands game.
Championship round:
The first map to be played will be cp_badlands and if my predictions hold, 20ID will be coming into this map from the Lower Bracket feeling very confidant that they can bring things back to level. Considering 20ID’s dominance on cp_badlands, we’ll be heading to the tie-breaker cp_gravel pit. If 20ID happens to win in the UB-Finals, look for them to quickly close things down and seal the championship. Gravel pit will be the key map for these playoffs and the results of the Upper Bracket finals will have clear implications on who walks out with the title. I picked EG to win there, and they’re my pick to win the title. We shall see…
The playoffs are scheduled to kick off on Monday the 19th and the first Lower Bracket match will follow on Wednesday the 21st. The Upper Bracket finals will be played on Monday Oct. 26 with the Lower Bracket finals on Wednesday Oct 28. The championship round is currently scheduled to take place on Tuesday November 3rd.
It’s been a great season of ESEA, with one team dominating the opposition, the two other big dogs maintaining their status, and solid play from Strickland Propane, Vicious Gaming, Hostile Faction, and Point in Click. With only one team dropping out, Lightning Bolt, the emergence of the aforementioned mid-level teams (mid-level in terms of ESEA-I standings), and many other solid teams appearing in other TF2 leagues, the next season of the ESEA invite league is sure to be fantastic.
Stay tuned for schedule updates and match coverage!
