Sorry these are so late. I know some of the matches have already been played. I didn’t look at the scores (with one exception), so they’re still predictions … kindof. I’ll be more prompt in the future.
I also updated the Pwnage Rankings for Source recently, so take a look at those if you haven’t already. They reflect the current CEVO standings and the results from the Intel Invitational on Saturday. On with the predictions!
CEVO Predictions: Round 12 (de_train)
Bye Teams: verGe, 3D
Match of the Week
coL vs. Hyper – Both teams are undefeated right now in CEVO, and judging by the way they’ve been playing it might be the only loss either team gets. It’s also a Source vs. 1.6 matchup, if those distinctions still apply. (I, for one, don’t. We need to accept the fact that coL, 3D, zEx, etc are now Source teams. It’s over. If they change back to 1.6, then we can reopen negotiations. But until then, they’re Source teams and Source players. At this point, calling them 1.6 teams is like saying Britney Spears has really nice hair. No. She has somebody else’s really nice hair, and coL is a Source team.)
This match is the third time these two teams have faced each other in a week. The last two times were part of the Intel Invitational. They split those matches. Hyper won in OT on Dust2, and coL won 16-10 on Train in the Finals. The bad news for Hyper is this match is on Train, as well. I think they’ll make some adjustments, but it won’t be quite enough to beat coL. If you didn’t get a chance to watch the Intel Invitational, watch Rambo on CT side of this match. I don’t know if there’s a smarter player in the game today. He’s one of those rare players that seem to have an innate feel for the game, like a Larry Bird or a Peyton Manning. (Alright, I might have a little man-crush on Rambo. But no worse than MVP voters do for Steve Nash.)
coL > Hyper 16-14
Forbidden vs. JMC – Whoops! I’m a little late on this one. I just checked the schedule and the match was already reported. Good thing I already wrote down my predicted score. Well, good for keeping the predictions honest, anyway. Bad for my record. No more peeking for me.
JMC > Forbidden 16-14
Eximius vs. u5 – u5 recently announced they’re dropping 1.6 to focus on Source. I have to admit I’m surprised. CGS is only going to be six organizations to start, and there simply isn’t enough room for all the Source players. (The members from Hyper, verGe, 3D, coL, EFG, EG, and JMC are all talented enough to participate. There are plenty of other people who could compete on that level as well: guys from x6, rSports, Flow among other teams.) So are teams dropping 1.6 because they believe they have a chance to participate in CGS, or do they just feel that Source has a better outlook in general? Either way, I think it’s good for the game. Hopefully the extra exposure will lead to greater acceptance in the community and more pressure on Valve to fix SourceTV and the remaining bugs.
As for the match, u5 has been playing well lately. They’ve pulled out three straight wins after starting out 0-8, and with the extra focus on Source I think they’ll be able to pull out the win.
u5 > Eximius 17-13
x6 vs. EFG – EFG’s roster problems are going to cost them this round. Train is a map that requires excellent communication and teamwork, but right now EFG doesn’t have that. Not only that, but their opponent, x6, is one of the best Source teams.
x6 > EFG 18-12
rS vs. juked – rSports, formerly known as one eyed zomblerz, has been one of the surprises this season. How many people thought they’d be ahead of JMC, EG, verGe, EFG and Flow at this point? They’re sitting at 6-2 and have a good chance of making the playoffs.
juked, on the other hand, is the only winless team this season. (And they toyed with us by announcing they were calling it quits and still playing. Well played, juked. You honor your name. I just hope teams don’t turn this into a trend. Flow gaming would need catheters, and Check-six might get arrested for sexual harassment.) Despite getting some new blood for juked, rS should get the win.
rS > juked 19-11
1 shot vs. Frantic – Frantic almost took down coL, losing 13-17. (That’s pretty impressive. I had a chance to watch coL on Train during the weekend exhibition, and they looked very good on Train.) n0it’s one of the best awpers in Source, and having a dominant awper on train is a huge advantage. They should be able to knock of 1 shot easily.
Frantic > 1 shot 19-11
Flow vs. EG – Flow had an impressive win over verGe on Train. I really didn’t expect that. Flow has been treading water this season, while verGe has been one of the best teams. I don’t know what to make of it except that they must play well on Train. EG hasn’t played their first match on Train yet so I’m not sure what to expect, but I think not focusing completely on Source will hurt them a little bit here. The changes in gameplay are huge from 1.6, so I’m giving the edge to the team formerly known as Devastation.
Flow > EG 18-12
Last Time: 6-1
Overall Record: 28-8
Perfect Predictions: 4
