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Day 2 of the Call of Duty League’s Toronto Home Series is now in the books, which means there are only four teams left to battle it out on Championship Sunday.
The Saturday portion of the CDL Toronto was as intense as expected; with so many top teams competing this weekend, at least one was bound to face an early exit ahead of the semifinals.
There would actually be two – Florida Mutineers and Chicago Huntsmen – who, along with Minnesota ROKKR and Seattle Surge, were eliminated on Day 2. On the flip side, Atlanta FaZe, Toronto Ultra, Dallas Empire, and OpTic Gaming LA did what they had to do to make it to the third and final day of competition.
- Read More: CDL Toronto Day 1 recap & highlights
You can keep track of where each team has placed so far this weekend, as well as their prize money and CDL Points earnings, via the Toronto Home Series final placements.
Group A
Toronto Ultra 3-2 Chicago Huntsmen
As the Seattle Surge proved last week, internet-related controversies are inevitable when it comes to the CDL, and it struck again during the Huntsmen vs Ultra series.
It looked like Chicago were going to take care of business quickly after going up 2-0, but Toronto struck back to crawl within one before Prestinni’s disconnection on the game four St. Petrograd Hardpoint allowed them to tie the series and force a fifth map.
https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1287100451066982402
As per league rules, a map cannot be replayed if a player disconnects more than 30 seconds after the start, which forced Huntsmen to play 4v5 and lost by nearly 200 points. With momentum fully on their side, the hosts clutched up on Piccadilly S&D to win the match and advance to the semifinals.
https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1287105475906068485
OpTic Gaming LA 3-0 Seattle Surge
A difficult result for Seattle once again, but one that many probably saw coming. While OpTic haven’t been great this season, they’re still a much stronger side than the Surge, and it showed in this heavily one-sided sweep.
The Gun Runner Hardpoint, which was a tight affair before OGLA clutched up late, seems like it was the pivotal map of this series as it could have drastically changed things up if Seattle had gone up 1-0.
https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1287143909219598348
However, Los Angeles got all the momentum they needed from that close victory, and combined with some clutch plays on the subsequent Gun Runner S&D and Hackney Yard Domination, they were able to close it out.
🔥 @SlasheR_AL with the 1v2 for the win!#OGLA | #CDL2020 https://t.co/4au6EIy6Ju
— Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) July 25, 2020
This was the second-straight first-round elimination for the Surge, who finished the regular season with a dismal 5-18 record and a five-match losing streak. They’re locked in as the 11th seed for the CDL Playoffs and Championship.
OpTic Gaming LA 3-1 Chicago Huntsmen
If there were any doubts about the impact that rookies Drazah and Hollow have had, those were put to rest with this upset, as OpTic Gaming stunned some of their old friends to clinch the final semifinal spot.
It looked as though Huntsmen might run away with it early; a tight victory on Azhir Cave Hardpoint gave them a 1-0 lead, which was followed by a massive comeback on the Rammaza S&D to force a round 11. The Green Wall stemmed the bleeding, however, and the 6-5 win was apparently all they needed to carry them to another two maps and a series victory.
https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1287190234975940610
Needless to say, the victory was a huge one for OpTic Gaming, as it means they’re still in the running to finish in the top eight of the 2020 standings, which would allow them to start the Playoffs in the winners bracket.
Speaking of which, Huntsmen, who finished the season 21-9, are now locked in as the fourth seed and will begin their postseason run in the second round of the winners bracket.
Following the match, OGLA decided to troll several of their former members, Scump, FormaL, and H3CZ, with a meme that they deleted moments after tweeting. The post seemed to suggest that the “real” OpTic was the one currently representing the franchise, as opposed to the legendary era that featured the T2P duo and their former CEO.
Group B
Atlanta FaZe 3-0 Dallas Empire
While it may be tempting to read too much in this result, it would be wise not to, considering that two of the three maps were very close and even the game one Gun Runner Hardpoint wasn’t really a blowout.
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But, that said, a 3-0 is a 3-0 regardless of the specifics, and Atlanta did what they had to do to advance to the semifinals yet again – a feat they’ve achieved at every Home Series this season.
https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1287082566621843457
The win was FaZe’s league-leading 25th this season, against only six losses, guaranteeing them top-two seed for Playoffs, which means they’ll be starting in the third round of the winners bracket, just one win away from the Championship final.
https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1287087340087803905
Florida Mutineers 3-1 Minnesota ROKKR
The Mutineers and ROKKR have been heading in completely opposite directions this past couple of months; the former came into CDL Toronto with an 11-3 record since the start of June and two Home Series championships, while the latter had been winless with an 0-7 record in that same span.
Minnesota were looking to flip that script after victory on Azhir Cave Hardpoint gave them an early lead, but Florida turned on their championship form to take three straight maps and clinch the series win.
https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1287135459857125378
It’s the third straight Home Series in which the ROKKR have been knocked out in the first round, and after such a strong start to the season which saw them reach two Grand Finals, they’ve failed to get out of group play in their last five events.
Riding a league-high eight-match losing streak, Minnesota will have to turn things around and quickly if they want to find success in the Playoffs, or they could be in for yet another early exit.
Dallas Empire 3-0 Florida Mutineers
Speaking of early exits, Mutineers were handed one by rivals Empire, who demolished them in 3-0 fashion in the group’s final elimination match.
The series kicked off with a 40-bomb from MVP-candidate Shotzzy on Gun Runner Hardpoint, followed by round 11 clutch on Gun Runner S&D, gave Dallas a commanding 2-0 lead that they rode to the eventual sweep.
https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1287165922411720704
Arguably the best rivalry of the season has been pretty one-sided lately, as Dallas have now won three straight against the three-time champs, including a stunning reverse sweep in their first matchup on Friday.
Florida ended the regular season with a 20-11 record, and while losing four out of their last six might be some cause for concern, fans shouldn’t worry too much as their team has proven to be a set-in-stone championship contender.
💣 @Shotzzy dropped 40 on the Mutineers! Is he the league MVP?#BuildAnEmpire | #CDL2020 https://t.co/kHSqCdcy2n
— Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) July 25, 2020
Looking ahead to Championship Sunday
The stage is set for what should be an exhilarating Championship Sunday at the Toronto Home Series, as things are coming down to the wire for the 2020 regular season.
In the first semifinal, Toronto Ultra will be facing off against the mighty Dallas Empire, who are looking to become the second team (Mutineers) to win back-to-back tournaments. The two have faced off only once this season – a 3-2 win for the Empire in their own Home Series back in early-April, but Ultra are a much-improved side since then.
On the flip side, Atlanta FaZe will be taking on OpTic Gaming LA, who are back in the semis after a two-event absence. They’ve only matched up twice this season – which FaZe won 3-1 and 3-0 – so the Green Wall will look to exact revenge in their push to finish in the top-eight.
Day 3 Schedule – July 26
Group A Bracket
Group B Bracket
Playoff Bracket
Remember, you can keep up with all of the Call of Duty action and watch these matches live via our CDL Toronto Home Series hub, which includes live streams, updated scores, brackets, and more.
