[ Match Information | Invite Finals | Open Finals ]
Match Information
Date: Sunday, April 17 Time: Invite - 21.00 CEST / 15.00 EDT
Open - 19.00 CEST / 13.00 EDT Map: Pipeline Teams: Invite - area-fifty-one vs Dutch Special Forces
Open - High FiDelity vs !n$!d4Z Shoutcast: 18.00 - 23.00 CEST / 12.00 - 17.00 EDT
Invitational League Finals
area-fifty-one vs Dutch Special Forces
For the backgrounds on both teams and their different ways to the Semi Finals have a look at my previous article about the Euro 4v4 League Semi Finals.
This is a rerun of last seasons Euro 6v6 Invite League Finals where these two teams faced eachother on Oasis. Dutch Special Forces after being forecast to lose by everyone, I included, won a earthquake victory with 11-1. They have both shown that they are and have been the best two teams on the Euro scene for the past six months, by being top of the Ladders whilst playing exceptional in the Invite League, which allowed both to make the Invite League Finals.
Looking at their Semi Finals both teams won as predicted. area-fifty-one with 10-2 against 1st.Polish Battalion, which is a little bigger than I predicted, but it was kind of expected considering their exceptional River Basin players. Dutch Special Forces won their match against Infinite Plague with 8-4, exactly as I predicted and could probably have squeezed out a few more rounds after the win was secured.
Both teams also won their Pipeline SF matches in the group play, area-fifty-one against NATO with 8-4 and Dutch Special Forces against 1st.Polish Battalion with 7-5. These scores gives the indication that they probably are quite even on Pipeline, but judging by their preformances neighter team put in 100% into those matches so the scores could be misleading.
area-fifty-one used to be an outstanding Pipeline team and probably still is, if they have prepared well enough they should be almost unstoppable in the Finals. This time I am sure area-fifty-one will not make the same mistake as last time - underestimating Dutch Special Forces and not playing their best line up.
Dutch Special Forces have also always been good on Pipeline, it is probably one of their best maps. Somehow they always seems to have a ace up their sleeve when you least expect it and I wonder if this match will hold any surprises for us.
This is going to be an awesome match! But I still have to put my money on area-fifty-one this time too. Will my prediction be as wrong as last time?
Predicted score
area51. vs -[DSF]- 7-5
Open League Finals
High FiDelity
Seeing as this was High FiDelity's first League appearance, not many people had much faith in them before it started, most did not even think they would make it to the Play-Offs and yet here they are in the League Finals. For some reason most new players seems to have forgotten, or never learned, the qualities of High FiDelity - they were as certain to win their group as an American team winning the "World" Series.
After a hiccup in the pre-season match against what the fux, High FiDelity won all their group play matches. They won their match on Pipeline SF against Dutch [NL] Clan with 10-2, a score that doesn't tell us much of what we can expect in the Finals.
In the Play-Offs they had a tough match up against what the fux in the Quarter Finals on Weapons Cache which they barely won with 7-5. In the Semi Finals on River Basin they lost however against The Unknown. But as reality finally caught up with The Unknown, they got caught using a banned player in the match and the result was reversed to a win for High FiDelity.
High FiDelity have some good Pipeline players but unless they have made some real overall progress since the last time I played them on Pipeline this is not their best map and could really turn out to be to much for them. They can only hope their old wit is enough to win against young !n$!d4Z.
!n$!d4Z
When the Leagues were initially announced there was much talk about !n$!d4Z deserving a spot in the Invite League instead of being placed in the Open League and now they have shown where they would like to be placed the next season by making some nice results.
Playing in what seemed to be the best group in the Open League they have had a great season winning all their matches. They even managed to win both matches against what the fux - the team consisting of top North American players that were supposed to sweep the carpet with all the Euro teams.
!n$!d4Z also easily won their Quarter Finals against Shadow ops on Weapons Cache with 10-2 and from there went straight to the Finals after getting a forfeit win in the Semi Finals since their opponents, Rejected, quit the League.
Pipeline is one of !n$!d4Z stronger maps and they have some well known Pipeline players on the team. They did however never get to play their match on Pipeline SF during the group play because Majestic never showed up. And now they should be eager to show off their skills on the map.
All this makes !n$!d4Z the favourites for this match. But seeing as their best player by far, Pred!cTion, just got banned they might not have that much of a upper hand after all and this should be a really nice and tight match.
Predicted score
-hfd. vs [!n$.^] 6-6 (1-0)
totte
TeamWarfare News Staff
Email: totte@teamwarfare.com
IRC: #teamwarfare, #twl_aa