Big upsets to end CDL Stage 5? | CDL Reverse Sweep Preview Show

With the Call of Duty League’s 2021 season winding down, the final week of Stage 5 is now underway. Our Reverse Sweep crew of Ian ‘Enable’ Wyatt, Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker & Katie Bedford are here to preview all the biggest matchups and make some more bold predictions ahead of the Major.

The Seattle Surge Home Series is already underway as the final week of Stage 5 kicked off with a bang. For every squad, it’s the final opportunity to secure a better seed not only for the Major, but for the all-important Champs event.

Unsurprisingly, teams are giving it their all and we’ve already seen some huge results. Before the rest of the action continues, our Reverse Sweep crew are here to preview the final games and reveal their hottest takes in the lead up to the final Cold War events.

Which teams may struggle in their final matches? Who really needs to turn it on before Champs? Here’s what our expert panel had to say.

How will New York Subliners fare without Clayster?

Day one kicked off with New York’s first game in Week 3. While it was a nail-biting affair, the squad clutched up and secured a Game 5 win without Clayster in the starting lineup.

From here on out, just one match remains as they’re set to collide with Atlanta FaZe on the final day. Ultimately, both Enable and Pacman believe they’ll lose the last game, but one of two things could come following that potential defeat.

“I think they’ll lose but I think we’ll see a resurgence from NYSL,” Pacman argued. Meanwhile, Enable looked further ahead and claimed they might “not rebound” after. “I’m worried about them,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a disappointing Champs.”

How will Group B shake out in the final week?

While Group A is a little more solid, Group B remains up in the air part-way through the final week. Anything could happen as these final games play out, but one thing appears certain in Pacman’s mind: “[Toronto] will take that number one spot.”

“Toronto have just looked so good all year,” Enable added. “I think they’ll beat Florida and the standings are going to stay exactly how they are now.”

If that’s the case, Toronto could very well be starting the last Major in the winner’s bracket alongside OpTic from the top of Group A. 

Players to watch in Week 3 of Stage 5

While the first games are already in the book, all three of our Reverse Sweep hosts have players or teams they’re keeping a close eye on through the rest of the week.

For Pacman, he’s stoked to see FormaL return to his old form. “He’s showing flashes of it again and making huge plays.” With one game left, he’s hoping to see this championship-contender form moving into the Major.

“I have to go with SlasheR,” fellow 100 Thieves member Enable chimed in. “LA Thieves still have control of their destiny, they need to win against OpTic. He wants a statement in this series.”

Last but not least, Katie will be paying attention to all of Florida in their final games. “They’ve looked better” in recent games, and she’s confident they can “do some damage to Toronto” in their final showdown.

Bold predictions for the end of Stage 5

With eight games left on the calendar, possibilities are still wide open ahead of the Stage 5 Major. As a result, Enable believes a “three-way tie in Group B” could actually come to fruition.

If Minnesota “clutches up” the standings could get “real weird” as the Seattle Home Series winds down.

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“I think I believe that Paris is gonna end up in winner’s bracket,” Pacman said. Despite their opening loss to New York, a final win over London could be enough to push them up the standings. “I don’t see LA Thieves winning against OpTic,” he added, potentially paving the way for the underdogs.

How can the LA Guerrillas & Seattle Surge rebound in 2022?

Looking beyond the current season for the teams locked out of Champs, Enable and Pacman put together a strategy for two teams in particular.

For the LA Guerrillas, their top priority should be signing a “superstar,” according to Enable. One name that could tick the box is Huke. “They have a lot of bankroll, they’re also located in LA… I would do everything to get Huke next year.”

• Read More: CDL 2021 Power Rankings

Meanwhile, for Seattle, Pacman would completely wipe the team “with the exception of Octane. He needs just one top player with him” and Seattle could build towards a considerably better team for the 2022 season.