Due to a big first round upset over OpTic Texas and a poor qualifier run from LA Thieves, the rematch of the Major Four finals was instead a test to see who would have a more disappointing tournament at CDL Major Five. As it turned out, the LA Thieves beat OpTic Texas 3-0 today, eliminating them from the LAN.
During the first map, despite OpTic going down early on Mercado Hardpoint and never getting within reach of bringing the map back, the crowd still chanted their name. Even with the support, the team couldn’t use it to get their first map win. After losing Mercado and getting stomped on the Hotel Search and Destroy afterward 6-2, OpTic were only one more slip-up away from not even winning a map at the Major Five.
Related: OpTic Texas suffer massive first-round upset at CDL Major Five
As the maps went on, it collectively got quieter in the Mattamy Athletic Centre as the avid OpTic fans realized that their team wasn’t going to make it past day two of the four-day-long event.
It all came down to Control on Hotel, where OpTic finally kept a map close for the first time in the series. Yet, even after going up 1-0, they lost the next three rounds in a row. Series over, LA Thieves through and OpTic sent home to recover for Championship weekend.
After their finals game earlier this year at Major Four, it was a bit of a shock to see the first rematch happen in the lower bracket, and no team were more surprised than the ones who started in that spot.
“Playing OpTic first round wasn’t expected,” LA Thieves player Drazah said to the media. “We thought that if we beat them, we can make a pretty decent run.”
Looking back in retrospect with the series over, the Thieves knew that they were on form on LAN again, just happening to defeat and eliminate their finals opponents only one major ago.
“I just think we were playing lights out,” Drazah said. “It’s really hard to beat us when we’re playing that good.” Drazah was indeed playing lights out, leading the lobby with 61 kills and a 1.42 kill/death ratio. His teammate Envoy echoed that feeling, saying that “when we’re playing lights out, we can beat anyone. To win the tournament, you got to beat the best teams, so I’m happy we got them early.”
With this win, the LA Thieves will face off against the London Royal Ravens later on today to see who makes it deeper in Major Five.
