Storylines - RLCS X EU - Edition #3
The date is August 20, 2020, and news of the conclusion of RLCS X EU The Grid Week 2 has just reached the relative isolation of my hotel room in Fort William.
Once again the variability in the week-to-week form of these teams is beyond my comprehension, with FC Barcelona, Dignitas, and Top Blokes all failing to win a match and my lowest-ranked French team in The Grid, Solary, popping off and reaching the top four. Anyway, here are my untainted predictions for The Grid Week 3.
FC Barcelona
Placement (and Prediction for Week 2): Tied thirteenth (tied ninth)
New Prediction (for Week 3): Tied thirteenth
As if losing 2-8 against Bayern in the Champions League wasn’t bad enough already, Barcelona’s Rocket League team has failed to win a single series in The Grid over the two weeks it has run. Part of me hopes that their Regional 1 run was more than just a fluke, but all signs point to another torrid time for Barça tomorrow.
Triple Trouble
Placement: Tied fifth (tied fifth)
New Prediction: Tied fifth
One person who will be smiling a lot about Barcelona’s run (or lack thereof) is Bluey, who found himself orgless in Season 9 after being released from the team, and has now placed higher than Barça in all three European RLCS X events with Triple Trouble. The roster has exceeded all my expectations and a repeat of their Week 1 performance would see them do it again.
Dignitas
Placement: Tied thirteenth (tied fifth)
New Prediction: Tied ninth
This volatile Dutch roster has failed to impress in The Grid once again. Joreuz, although able to assist the team against the bubble teams he became familiar with during his time at The Clappers, seems to struggle against the tried and tested RLCS and Rival Series teams. Their most recent performance saw them finish the night without a win, and at this point, I am far from being convinced the roster can reach playoffs.
Click to enlargeOxygen Esports
Placement: Tied third (tied thirteenth)
New Prediction: Second
Oxygen broke the streak! Over three months down the line from when they replaced fruity with AztraL, Oxygen Esports have reached the top four in two consecutive events. The results from the lab are back early, not that they’re particularly important to Oxygen now. It seems from my perspective that overconfidence from the previous win led to the roster outplaying themselves against weaker sides.
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This was demoralising, so when it came round to the next event, they played within their means. A semifinals finish in Week 2 has secured Oxygen third place overall, only 51 points shy of the leading team.
Vodafone Giants
Placement: First (tied fifth)
New Prediction: Tied third
I incorrectly believed that the Giants wouldn’t be able to repeat their Week 1 performance, I was punished by not having an English stream to watch the grand finals on. The Spanish side defied all expectations by winning last Friday’s edition of The Grid over Renault Vitality, and although I suspect it was partly down to their comparatively easy route to the final, I can no longer doubt their quality. Expect at least a semi-final finish from Stake, Tox and Zamué tomorrow night.
Renault Vitality
Placement: Second (first)
Prediction: First
Alpha54 has recovered, and the Vitality we know and love has returned as well. The Frenchmen dispatched Endpoint, Guild Esports and Triple Trouble in three games each. Oxygen Esports and the Vodafone Giants proved more troublesome though, and consecutive game sevens were too much for the bees to handle. That being said, Vitality are not a team known to fall in the face of adversity, and I still think they are the most likely team to win The Grid, despite being fourth in the standings.
Team BDS
Placement: Tied fifth (tied third)
Prediction: Tied third
Another French team, another top-four prediction. It’s almost like they have the best rosters in Europe (France is also tied with the United Kingdom for most The Grid cores this season, at four). A top-eight finish will be less than what BDS hoped for, but it is an improvement on their Week 1 result nonetheless. I believe that they can go another step further this week - reaching the semifinals.
Top Blokes
Placement: Tied thirteenth (second)
Prediction: Tied fifth
The only #HatsOff last week were those paying respect to the lifeless Top Blokes roster. Their follow up to a second-place finish in Regional 1 was losses to Team BDS and Monkeys, and understandably I have lowered my expectations greatly. A quarter-final finish may be disappointing for the players but is as far as I see them get.
I expect Triple Trouble, Team Liquid, and Endpoint to round out the top eight, with Dignitas, Team Singularity, Solary, and Guild Esports barely missing the cut. Chalked is probably not expecting to win a match in The Grid this season, while Barcelona, Libertas, and Monkeys have not convinced me that they can win a match this week.
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Image via DreamHack
