Top Five Matches Of RLCS X: Winter Split (Week 3)
It was one of the most wild weekends of Rocket League so far this season, and fans will remember it for a long time. Some matches would be worthy of their own documentary if they were to be analysed play by play. Although these five matches were all incredible, there were many more this weekend that left everyone on the edge of their seats. Whether or not you already know the results of these series, if you didn't get the chance to watch them live, I highly recommend going back and watching these games. Not only were they incredibly entertaining, but they really put a spotlight on the competitive state of both Europe and North America.
5) North America Regional Losers Round 4 - NRG versus Version1
North America had so many Game 5s, including insane series that didn't go quite the distance, but this one seemed to set the tone for the weekend. NRG had already struggled the previous weekend after dropping into the lower bracket and barely making it past eUnited. Version 1, meanwhile, have begun to turn around their season after upsetting Spacestation Gaming and taking down the Kansas City Pioneers in Game 5. Heading into this matchup, it was easy to see this matchup had massive implications for these teams' splits. Version1, although they fell short, look to be the real deal with Robert "comm" Kyser on their team, and a Top 8 finish is promising. Meanwhile, NRG had to begin their road to the finals here, and they barely made it out. It was only a one goal victory, but NRG lit up their opponents after this, securing sweeps over Ghost and the Pittsburgh Knights, and a massive series win over Rogue to make the finals. It was still a long way from the finals, but the stakes were so high for both these teams in the lower bracket, and they didn't disappoint.
4) Europe The Grid Quarterfinals- Team BDS versus Galaxy Racer
Galaxy Racer was a feature in many games that could have been considered for this list, but this one made it because their win didn't just come in Game 5. It came against Team BDS, one of the best teams in the world. Up until this point, BDS won all four of their series in the group stage and round of 16 without losing more than one game. In recent matchups, Galaxy Racer had pushed BDS to the limits, but always fell just short. This breakthrough is massive in terms of the European power rankings. Heading into the Winter Split, the major question around this region was if any teams would be capable of truly competing for a top two spot? The Grid was the only weak spot for BDS in the fall, where they finished fourth, but it is a good sign for other teams heading forward. It's easy to forget just how far ahead BDS were in the fall as they finished with a 704 point gap between themselves and the third place Top Blokes. With this result, it shows that other teams like Galaxy Racer are capable of taking advantage of these opportunities to prove they have what it takes. Between Galaxy Racer, Top Blokes, and a few other surging teams, the top tier in Europe is beginning to look crowded.
3) North America Losers Quarterfinals- G2 Esports versus Pittsburgh Knights
There was plenty of stress to go around this weekend, and these teams certainly didn't give fans a rest. This series would go to a decisive Game 7 where the Knights would force their way into the lower bracket semifinals by means of a single goal. Part of what contributed to the excitement of this series was the back and forth nature. It would flip between G2 scoring four goals in a game, and then shut down for two games, and then scoring five to force a Game 7. The Knights have been on the radar to break out for a while now, and hopefully this was it. Gianluca "sosa" Petrozza seems to be fitting in well so far after his move from Plot Twist. Leading up to the match, the hype around the Knights was already high after eliminating Spacestation Gaming and Alpine. In their match against Alpine, they won the final three matches of the series without conceding a single goal. In all, it would total over twenty minutes without allowing Alpine to score.
After the Grand Finals, the commentators said that they couldn't wait to see what happened to power rankings this week. Pittsburgh certainly is creating a conundrum for analysts and fans alike. Meanwhile, G2 is falling just short of securing a big result in the regional. They have been so good in the Grid this season, but haven't been able to convert that success into regional success. They are undoubtedly still an elite, top five team, but will have to wait another few weeks to have a shot at a regional trophy.
2) Europe The Grid Semifinals- Galaxy Racer versus Redemption
This list was so difficult to make, and there are many deserving matches left off of this list. As an honourable mention, make sure to check out the Ghost Gaming versus Team Envy series, but this game will take the spot here because Redemption deserves some recognition beyond the Game 7 excitement that they provided to fans. Galaxy Racer has already been discussed, but again, they have been such an exciting team to watch this season. This would be their fourth series in a row that would go to a final, winner take all match. As for Redemption, they were one of the week's biggest storylines. They put a flawless 3-0 group stage together against Renault Vitality, Triple Trouble, and Galaxy Racer. All three of those series would go to a Game 5, but those three games alone were enough to get people talking. After that, they would defeat Wolves by scoring twelve goals in just three games. In the quarterfinals, they would take down Oxygen to force a rematch against Galaxy Racer. It truly was incredible how many upsets there were this weekend, and Redemption needs to be on the watch list for teams going forward who can play spoiler.
Redemption, after previously defeating Galaxy Racer in Game 5 of the group stage, took a dominant 3-1 lead in the semifinals. They took Game 5 to overtime where they had over three minutes of time to score the golden goal that would push them through, but Galaxy Racer fought back. Both of these teams gained a lot of experience this week in Game 5s, but Galaxy Racer was able to show up when it mattered and won the final three games of the series.
1) North America Regional Finals - Team Envy versus NRG
It would be impossible to justify any other match making this final spot. This was truly a classic, and the excitement in this series is impossible to put into words. Team Envy dominated the upper bracket, only being challenged by Ghost Gaming. Heading into the finals, they were fresh off a victory over Rogue in which they allowed only three goals in four games. Their fantastic run of form would show when they jumped to a 3-1 series lead over NRG.
Meanwhile, NRG was forced to fight for their life from their second game of the tournament. After their early drop into the lower bracket, they had to beat eUnited and Version1 in Game 5s before clicking and dominating from the lower quarterfinals into the finals. After NRG and Spacestation Gaming both dropped, it should have been known one of them would turn it around and put up a big showing.
After their concerning first two losses, Game 3 was where this series really got crazy. It would go to overtime, and NRG would take it barely twenty seconds in to avoid having to force the reverse sweep. Then, in Game 4, NRG jumped to a 3-0 lead. Envy would bring it back but with eleven seconds left, NRG took the lead- but Envy would tie it almost immediately off of a fake kickoff. They would go on to score after four minutes of overtime to put themselves at match point. With their lives on the line, NRG fought back through another two overtimes. In Game 7, it all came down to yet another overtime. NRG had the lead with less than a minute remaining, but Envy had already shown an incredible ability to come back, and they would do it again. Nearing the three-minute mark of extra time, Pierre "turbopolsa" Silfver would put the nail in the coffin to secure another trophy.
The magic of this series can't adequately be captured by a few paragraphs of a recap. It was an instant classic, with Envy just coming out on top. NRG should hold their heads high though. They fought back from an early drop to the lower bracket and was an integral part in one of the most entertaining series of the season. With all the upsets from this tournament, the North American scene is shaking up. Envy and NRG still look great, but other teams are waiting for their moment to break through. It is easy to forget, but all of these matches are ultimately qualifiers for the World Championship. This Winter Split could be a massive shakeup in the standings come the end of the season since so many teams are competing for top placements.
Images via Liquipedia | @RLEsports
