Mary C

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK YANKEES: C | Kyle Higashioka FB | Anthony Rizzo SB | DJ LeMahieu S | Isaiah Kiner-Falefa TB | Josh Donaldson LF | Joey Gallo CF | Aaron Hicks RF | Aaron Judge DH | Giancarlo Stanton LOS ANGELES ANGELS: C | Max Stassi FB | Jared Walsh SB | Luis Rengifo S | Andrew Velazquez TB | Anthony Rendon LF | Brandon Marsh CF | Mike Trout RF | Taylor Ward DH | Shohei Ohtani Live at the Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees will be hosting their match against one of the most interesting and promising teams this season, the Los Angeles Angels. An interesting start to June, the game is to be held this Wednesday, at 7:05 AM. Heading into the field this June, the Yankees might be a little sour as the Los Angeles Dodgers have narrowly surpassed them on the MLB leaderboard. Freshly forced down into second place, we have good reason to believe this will rile the Yankees up quickly, and that’s dangerous for the Angels. If the Yankees are all fired up to reclaim their spot on top, the match will be beyond difficult for the Angels to maneuver. A lighter note for New York though, the season is still young, and the Dodgers are only one loss less from them. One thing they have to watch out though is they need to give Aaron Judge better support. His domination on the field is superior, no doubt, but their reliance on him can quickly become dangerous. A (Mike) Trout, Squid (Andrew Velasquez), and Thor (Noah Syndergaard). Quite the trio coming from the Angels, manager Perry Minasian is well-aware of their talent, depth, and potential. Admittedly though, Minasian knows they have a long way to go, but there are four months to work up to it. For their match against the Yankees, the most relevant question will always be: who is their starting pitch? As of the moment, it’s looking more and more like Reid Detmers. A young, ambitious addition to the bullpen, Detmers would be a good choice as long as he remains in tip-top shape, especially against New York. In the end, we have to make a choice, and that choice is the Yankees. We know siding with the hero is quite cliché, but there’s definitely fire to be expected from the time right now. With their intense catch-up rivalry with the Dodgers, New York has a bone to pick with Angelenos right now. Sorry, Angels. 7:05 AM, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Yankee Stadium, NY.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS: C | Will Smith FB | Freddie Freeman SB | Gavin Lux S | Trea Turner TB | Justin Turner LF | Chris Taylor CF | Cody Bellinger RF | Mookie Betts DH | Max Muncy PITTSBURGH PIRATES: C | Michael Perez FB | Yoshitomo Tsutsugo SB | John VanMeter S | Rodolfo Castro TB | Ke’Bryan Hayes LF | Ben Gamel CF | Bryan Reynolds RF | Jack Suwinski DH | Daniel Vogelback On their way from San Diego after going head-to-head against the Padres, the Pirates will be heading to their only trip to the Dodger Stadium this Tuesday. As the L.A. Dodgers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to their humble abode, the Penguins shouldn’t get too comfortable with a warm welcome. Read on to find out why. Coming back home from a successful series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers have the Diamondbacks floored from their visit to Chase Field. In their first game against Arizona this Friday, the match finished with 14-1 in favor of the Dodgers. It's a 13-point differential. We’re just hoping the Diamondbacks get back up from that. They didn’t hold out from poor Arizona, so it’s safe to assume Pittsburgh will be receiving the same, if not worse, treatment. Placing first in the National League West and second in Major League Baseball, L.A. is on a mission to dethrone their fiercest competitors, the Yankees. One win behind, the Dodgers will do all in their power to show New York they belong on top. Next, the Pennsylvania natives and National League Central third placers, the Pirates. With a 19-26 win-loss record, they rank 23rd overall out of 30 teams making them the definite underdog on paper. In spite of their obvious inferiority statistically, this does not mean they do not have talent. One of Pittsburgh’s pitching leaders is Jose Quintana, with an Earned Run Average (ERA) of 2.15, higher than Los Angeles’s Julio Urias. This rating classifies him as an excellent pitcher, essentially one of the best. Next to Ke’Bryan Hayes and Ben Gamel, the Pirates stand a fighting chance against their grueling opponents. This Tuesday at the Dodger Stadium, we’ve decided on a winner. As this will not come as a surprise, home team Dodgers are expected to win. With their caliber winning eight of their last 10 games and the motivation to climb the MLB ladder, Los Angeles will be bringing their A-game, and the Pirates will be collateral damage. They are coming to win, and in true Dodgers fashion, we say “it’s an L.A. thing”. 10:10 AM (PST), Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: REAL MADRID: G | Thibaut Courtois CB | David Alaba, Eder Militao L FB | Ferland Mendy R FB | Dani Carvajal C MF | Casemiro L MF | Toni Kroos R MF | Luka Modric W | Vinicius Junior, Marco Asensio CF | Karim Benzema LIVERPOOL: G | Alisson CB | Joel Matip, Virgil van Djik L FB | Andrew Robertson R FB | Trent Alexander-Arnold C MF | Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson L MF | Luis Diaz R MF | Diogo Jota ST | Sadio Mane Going into this match is La Liga’s champion, Real Madrid, against the English Premier League’s second yet highly favored fan favorite, Liverpool F.C. Spain’s contender has their league title, but does that mean they’ll prove to be victorious against one of England’s best? Real Madrid might have won the La Liga title; however, it was an odd season for the Spanish league. Many of the league’s teams, such as Barcelona (2nd), Atletico Madrid (3rd), and Sevilla (4th), were all playing a little less awe-inspiring than usual. Real Madrid a.k.a Los Blancos finished with a 26-8-4 record totaling 86 points in La Liga. In the EPL, there has been comparatively tighter competition. Liverpool has been one to wreak havoc everywhere they go, and as they tread undefeated in the Champions League, they gain even more power. Liverpool a.k.a The Reds finished second with 28-8-2 totaling 92 points— one point below the EPL ‘21-’22 titleholder Manchester City. Historically, every time Los Blancos has qualified for the European finals, they’ve won all of them - all seven. This has led to the popular saying that Real Madrid does not play for the finals; they win them. The Reds, on the other hand, are eyeing their seventh UEFA Cup even more so now that the Premier League Cup title has slipped from their fingertips. We have two highly-motivated and incredibly high-caliber teams playing this Sunday, and it’s the most perfectly explosive match to end the Champions League. It’s quite the feat to try and predict the awaited match’s outcomes, but it’s the cross we have to carry. Alas, we side with Liverpool one last time this season. They have been fiends this ‘21-’22 season, and one reason they were a nightmare to play against is that they have patience. They don’t lose composure when things don’t go to plan. They never stopped aiming for the EPL title even when Man City was light-years ahead, and they were so close to dethroning them by the end of the season. Now, while no one will be surprised if they indeed win this match, it is important to note that by winning this, they want to prove something to themselves. If they don’t get the EPL Cup, then they’re taking the Champions’. It’s Liverpool all the way for us. UEFA Champions League — 3 AM (PST), May 29, 2022. Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France.

For Sunday’s fight night, it’s going to be a heated meet between nemeses Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Rolando Romero. The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, will host the battle at 11:30 AM this May 29. Two undefeated fighters will come to the ring this Saturday morning. Davis is a five-time, three-division world champion that has been around for longer than Romero, granting him the advantage of experience. Romero, on the other hand, has the advantage of height and reach. The American fighters are also known for their wins via knockout; with Davis’ 26-0 record with 24 wins due to knockout and Romero’s 14-0 with 12 due to knockout. Both boxers show power in their punches rather than the number of punches landed; however, Davis sits exceptionally low on the list of active fighters’ stats when it comes to jabs. With their publicly expressed animosity towards each other, the upcoming match isn’t to be watched solely for the sport. We have to admit that some of us are hooked on the beef all the same. Ranking sixth out of all active boxers defensively, Davis boasts a +/- rating of +13.7. In spite of this, Romero believes he can knock Davis out within the first round. Romero’s astounding confidence aside, if he wants a better chance of defeating the Tank, he should take note of Davis’ match against Isaac Cruz. While Cruz ultimately lost, he was able to give Davis a hard time and forced him to go the distance. If Romero can compound his defense with mind games enough to irritate Davis, he might just go home undefeated once more. In terms of a winner, Davis needs to secure a win in order to advance. Romero might just be the most difficult opponent he will have to face. It definitely won’t be an easy feat, but if the Tank proves he has actually grown more patient, the more likely he is to win. We’re betting that the rising boxing superstar won’t stop now. It looks like Romero will have his first defeat handed to him this time. Sunday, May 29, 2022. 11:30 AM (PST) at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY.

The world's best players have completed the Major, and the rest of the counter strike community can already keep on going. On the tier-2/3 stage, intense clashes commence. Teams from outside the top 50 of the HLTV rankings will compete in the first round of the Pinnacle Cup IV, but as the tournament progresses, more competitive teams will participate. Fast-paced action, stunning headshots, and insane clutches. In the coming days, all counter strike lovers can expect everything and more. GamerLegion and SKADE will fight their next game at Pinnacle Cup IV on May 25 at 4PM, and we shall find out who is the better team overall eventually. Winning three of their three available matchups, GamerLegion had a great season in Pinnacle Cup IV's group stage. Certainly, the team did not play brilliantly, and they did give away maps, but they prevailed. We should also highlight iM, who is the tournament's greatest player in regards of single statistics following the group stage. His score is 1.31. Dust2, who is not playing at all, will be banned off the maps by GamerLegion. On the other hand, it is one of the most powerful maps for SKADE. The Swedes frequently make mistakes when choosing maps. Mirage is a popular pick among the guys. Mirage could be taken. Overpass or Mirage, the other choices are completely untrustworthy. However, none of them has GamerLegion as a favorite. On Mirage, the squad only has 56 percent of the victories. In their most recent full game, GamerLegion chose this map versus SKADE and ended up losing. In their previous match, they chose it against INDE IRAE and lost. Overpass is doing better, but it's still SKADE's best map in terms of win rate, and GamerLegion does not really appear to be the choice, particularly since SKADE recently defeated Team Vitality and Copenhagen Flames on this map. SKADE is in fantastic shape. The squad has claimed seven straight matches and only lost three of their last fifteen maps. Although the rivals may not be the most competitive, AGO or Sinners can be deemed dangerous tier-2 rivals. The Pinnacle Cup IV team managed to make it through the group stage but only with a 3-2 record. SKADE has two options for the forthcoming match: Inferno or Ancient. The lads have picked Inferno in their last two face-to-face encounters but have now lost two close games. So it's safe to assume that SKADE will choose Ancient this time. And even more so because the Swedes only ever had a 22% winning percentage there and have lost seven of their last eight matches. SKADE, on the contrary, has a 71% victory rate against powerful opponents. The team has defeated AGO as well as the Copenhagen Flames. They didn't seem like thrashing boys either in the encounter against ENCE. GamerLegion has little possibility of battling at the adversary peak, in my opinion. For the forthcoming match, SKADE appears to be the favorite. The lads are in fantastic shape, having won seven games in a row, have an edge in face-to-face encounters, and everything on the maps appears to be in their favor.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: PG | Stephen Curry SG | Klay Thompson SF | Andrew Wiggins PF | Jonathan Kuminga C | Draymond Green DALLAS MAVERICKS: PG | Luka Doncic SG | Jalen Brunson SF | Reggie Bullock PF | Dorian Finney-Smith C | Dwight Powell The Warriors are once again showing us what “strength in numbers” truly means. With one more win, they are guaranteed their spot in the NBA finals, putting the Mavericks in the red zone and in dire need to stop the formidable Warriors if they want to avoid a sweep during game four. This will be held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas; 9 AM this Wednesday, May 25. During their previous game against the Dallas Mavericks, Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins showcased their talents alongside the teams' on-target performance, leading them to a 109-100 victory, and a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. On the side of Dallas, The “Wonder Boy” Luka Doncic delivered the team a whopping 40 points in Game 3, and Spencer Dinwiddie brought in a ray of hope with his three-pointer to make it a five-point game of 104-99 with just over a minute remaining. But even then, it was not enough to stop the unstoppable force that is the Warriors, who kept the Mavs at the tip of their fingers during the fourth quarter with Poole shooting a three for an eight-point advantage with 54 seconds left in the game. One must only hope that Game 4 provides a turn of events, and the Mavs are able to shut down the Warriors from advancing to the finals against Boston or Miami. Looking back at the Mavericks' previous performances in the conference semifinals, they went down 0-2 against the Phoenix Suns but came back with a Grab 3 win as Bullock, Finney-Smith, and Kleber racked up a combined 43 points to give the Mavericks a boost back into the series. On the blue side with Golden State, they have been dominating the series and are one way from reaching their sixth NBA Finals, possibly eighth if it wasn’t for the injuries of Thompson and Curry last season. However, with the powerful dynamics of Doncic and the Mavs, Golden State still has to keep on their toes and stay on their best performance for a very hopeful journey to the finals again. 9:00 AM, Wednesday, May 25, 2022, American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: BOSTON CELTICS: PG | Marcus Smart SG | Jaylen Brown SF | Jayson Tatum PF | Al Horford C | Robert Williams III MIAMI HEAT: PG | Kyle Lowry SG | Duncan Robinson SF | Jimmy Butler PF | P.K. Tucker C | Bam Adebayo After losing in a 25-point deficit to Boston in Friday’s game, Miami pulled an impressive win this Sunday courtesy of Bam Adebayo. Keeping tight at TD Garden in Boston for game four, can the Heat keep winning without Jimmy Butler’s finesse? Or will the Celtics show them just how powerful they are at home? This Sunday, Bam Adebayo told the world that it’s his time to shine. Following the main scorer, Jimmy Butler’s exit, Adebayo showed the Celtics that Butler is far from being the only asset in Miami as he showed his best performance for this postseason. Butler was held out of the second half due to knee inflammation. However, he should be able to play moving ahead. Butler will not require an MRI, according to Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, and he will not miss any further time, according to USA Today. Bam Adebayo led the team with 31 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Speaking of shining players, Jaylen Brown had a great game for Boston this Sunday, scoring 40 points and nine rebounds. Al Horford and Marcus Smart also had a combined 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists, yet the Celtics could not Jayson Tatum's dismal gameplay. The All-Star only finished with 3-for-14 from the field. Now, regardless of how we skirt around the fact that Boston could have definitely won this game, especially with Butler’s exit, it has to be said. Besides that, they had 16 more free throws and even had the deficit down to one; how they didn’t get the win is beyond us. Now that the most recent game is out of the way, how is it looking for game four? If Butler happens to play any less than his best or even have absences, Adebayo needs to keep playing at the same rate he did with game three. At this point, we’re almost positive that at least Boston knows what to do now, especially with how they dominated in game two. The Celtics just need to be more careful because with the likeliness of Butler’s absence and the team’s growing reliance on Adebayo for a win. If the Celtics could just be a little more explosive, they could definitely bag this win. That being said, we think game four belongs to Boston. Adebayo will not cease to shine anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean he can always carry Heat. Tuesday, May 24, 2022. TD Garden, Boston, MA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: PG | Stephen Curry SG | Klay Thompson SF | Andrew Wiggins PF | Jonathan Kuminga C | Draymond Green DALLAS MAVERICKS: PG | Luka Doncic SG | Jalen Brunson SF | Reggie Bullock PF | Dorian Finney-Smith C | Dwight Powell Want to start the week right? We know we are! On Monday, May 23rd at 9 AM, the Golden Warriors from the sunny state of California are headed to the American Airlines Center of Dallas, Texas. The Dallas Mavericks are currently prepping for game 3, especially as the Warriors have won games 1 and 2. Will the Mavericks finally be able to make the tides turn in their favor as how they did with the Suns? Or will the Warriors establish their strength and domination throughout their matches? For a team that’s known to be their most dangerous in the third quarter of their games, the Warriors vs. Mavericks series showed that the Dubs can be just as frightening in the fourth quarter all the same. As the Warriors have won games 1 (112-86) and 2 (126-11) seemingly so comfortably, they had their struggles in game 2. By halftime, the game was in favor of Dallas in a 72-58 game. It was a 19-point deficit for the Dubs to overcome, but they were able to pull through. How, you might ask? The Warriors dominated the paint, and they’ve always been known for their ability to finish games in their favor; so much so that regardless of an opponent’s lead, the game is not over until it is officially over. Fan favorite Stephen Curry led points and assists while power forward Kevin Looney led rebounds. On the other side of the court, the Mavs undoubtedly started strong. Their offense was at its peak during the second quarter, swiftly and skillfully scoring 40 points against their formidable opponents. After halftime, however, this started their fall from grace. As Dallas let one too many shots go, Golden State started to pick up the pace. Just as fast as the Mavericks led the first and second quarter, the Warriors outscored them by the third. They could have still taken back the game, but with no rebounds, it became more difficult to pull off as the Dubs had the paint. Luka Doncic led the team’s points and assists and power forward Dorian Finney-Smith led rebounds. We’re going out on a limb here and claim Monday’s game will be in favor of the Dallas Mavericks. While the Golden State Warriors have shown much skill and resilience throughout the postseason, the Mavs’ recent loss was a blessing and a curse. Their dominance during the first half could very much carry on until the last minute if they do not solely rely on three-pointers and if they amp up their defense. The Warriors are one of the NBA’s greatest offensive leaders, but if the Mavs tapped into their weakness this time and are able to get through the Dubs’ high-risk third-quarter play, they can secure game three. Don’t believe us? The best way to know now is to watch out for Monday’s game— Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks. 9:00 AM, Monday, May 23, 2022, American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK YANKEES: C | Kyle Higashioka FB | Anthony Rizzo SB | DJ LeMahieu S | Isaiah Kiner-Falefa TB | Josh Donaldson LF | Joey Gallo CF | Aaron Hicks RF | Aaron Judge DH | Giancarlo Stanton BALTIMORE ORIOLES: C | Robinson Chirinos FB | Ryan Mountcastle SB | Rougned Odor S | Jorge Mateo TB | Ramon Urias LF | Austin Hays CF | Cedric Mullins RF | Anthony Santander DH | Tray Mancini In an intraleague game, AL East teams Yankees and Orioles are set to have their last faceoff for the current series this Friday, May 20, 2022. While the series has been hosted by the Oriole Stadium, the Orioles have not found much luck yet. With the Yankees winning two out of four games, the Orioles have limited time left for redemption. As their last match ended in a close 5-4 in favor of New York, there’s still hope for Baltimore. On paper, it’s hard not to establish a stark comparison of the two. The New York Yankees are not only first in the American League East but are also first in the entire MLB. With a total of 27 wins and 9 losses, the Yankees obviously cannot rest on their laurels yet this early in the season. Just a couple of days ago, the Dodgers were sitting on top just to be dethroned by the Yankees so quickly. Then again, they don’t have what New York has; Aaron Judge. Considerably the face of the team, Judge was the main player to take over and carry the team to victory in their games against the Orioles along with Michael King. Judge managed two home runs with King’s six strikeouts which secured their victory. From being named the AL Rookie of the Year back in 2017, the right fielder has been consistently proving that he goes above and beyond. As of the moment, Judge has pulled 14 home runs, a .315 average, and a 30 RBI. Next, we have in the spotlight is the home team Baltimore Orioles. Fourth in the AL East and 26th in the MLB with 14-21, they are the obvious underdog in this matchup. Historically speaking, however, the Orioles are doing better than expected of them thus far. Coming off of a weekend sweep in the hands of the Detroit Tigers, it’s hard to gauge whether the team is motivated to put their recent losses behind them or demoralized from their unsuccessful feats. On the bright side, Bruce Zimmermann is the probable pitcher for Friday’s game. With a 2.72 ERA, he fairs better than New York’s Jordan Montgomery’s 3.06 if we look at the numbers alone. If Zimmermann showcases his best behavior this Friday, he just might be able to carry his team to victory, but even then they’d have to pull some miracles if we’re only depending on one player. In conclusion, we’ve placed our bets, and it’s unsurprisingly for the New York Yankees. While we don’t want to be the typical watcher rooting for the hero, it’s just hard to visualize Baltimore winning with such poor circumstances against one of the best teams, if not arguably the best team this season. The Yankees are on a high, blazing streak. Baltimore has been at the bottom of the barrel for quite some time. It’s hard to imagine them being the one to end New York’s streak here. We’re afraid it’s another sweep on the losing end for the Orioles. 12:35 AM, Friday, May 20, 2022. Oriole Park, Baltimore, Maryland.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: PG | Stephen Curry SG | Klay Thompson SF | Andrew Wiggins PF | Jonathan Kuminga C | Draymond Green DALLAS MAVERICKS: PG | Luka Doncic SG | Jalen Brunson SF | Reggie Bullock PF | Dorian Finney-Smith C | Dwight Powell After the defeat of the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, and Utah Jazz, only two teams proceed to the Western Conference finals this Thursday. It’s the Dallas Mavericks against Golden State Warriors this time. It is thrilling to witness opposite teams go head-to-head for Game 1, with one team led by a young star player and the other filled with veterans. The Dallas Mavericks were able to win four out of five games against the Phoenix Suns last week during the conference semifinals, and the Mavericks ended the series at 123-90, with a 33-point gap win. The Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, won three out of five games against the Memphis Grizzlies, ending the series at 110-96. Dallas Mavericks, 52-30, are fourth in the Western Conference. They lead the playoffs in time of possession, with an average of 22.4 minutes of possession from their first twelve games. The Mavs were also able to suppress the ball movement of the Warriors which gave them three wins out of four regular season meetings. However, they only rank 15th in player movement with 9.9 miles traveled per 24 minutes of possession and 16th in ball movement with 273 passes per 24 minutes of possession. The majority have their eyes on Dallas Mavericks’ young superstar Luka Doncic as he scored 35 points against the Suns. He also leads the postseason in terms of individual time of possession with 10 minutes per game. The team relies on Doncic’s brilliance to give them a boost against the Warriors veteran Stephen Curry. Golden State Warriors, 53-29, are third in the Western Conference. They led the regular season with 369 passes per 24 minutes of possession, but it is important to note that their lowest rate against any opponent in the Western Conference was the one they had against Mavericks which was 345 passes per 24 minutes. Golden State ranked 14th in time of possession at 20.2 minutes, with no player in the top ten among individuals. They also ranked first in player movement with 11.3 miles traveled per 24 minutes of possession and second in ball movement with 340 passes per 24 minutes of possession. It is most likely that the Warriors will try to contain Doncic, probably by exploiting his defensive weaknesses. Stephen Curry remains the leader of the team given his elegance and experience, but he is going to need all the help he can get, especially from Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, in case he encounters unfortunate moments. For this match, the Golden State Warriors expect a fuller roster, which gives them the upper hand. The play of the Dallas Mavericks may have improved with Luka Doncic’s dominance, but the depth of the Golden State might be too much for the Mavs. In this game, we can only expect the Warriors to fight and take the win. 9:00 AM, Thursday, May 19, 2022, Chase Center, San Francisco, California

It's never a real pleasure seeing all three SEA delegates in the bottom bracket, fighting for their lives. Following BOOM Esports' impressive performance at GAMERS GALAXY Dubai 2022, supporters had great hopes for the SEA contender to claim majors. Unfortunately, with the OG vs. BOOM situation and this struggle amongst local rivals, there may only be one remaining SEA team this season. As DPC SEA Tour 2 participants, T1 and Fnatic have a long-standing competition to outsmart each other. Whenever it gets to that point, T1 has a stronger base in the midgame and early on when it comes to maneuvering around goals. T1 can rely on good performances with Kim "Gabbi" Villafuerte Santos and Karl "Karl" Matthew Baldovino. At the 2022 ESL One Stockholm Dota Major, the Gaimin Gladiators overcame T1 in the top bracket of the stage playoffs. The team of Melchior Seleri Hillenkamp won the match 2–0. Fnatic, on the other side, appeared to be struggling, which is in stark contrast to their previous success in the DPC SEA Tour 2. If we subtract Mind Games' forfeit, they finished last in group B. As a result, despite Fnatic's recent victories, we believe T1 has a higher chance of defeating their regional opponent today. T1 will remain in the lower bracket of the major stage playoffs, where they will face Fnatic in the opening match of the tournament this May 18 at 6 PM Philippine Standard Time.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: SOUTHAMPTON G | Fraser Forster CB | Jack Stephens, Jan Bednarek L FB | Kyle Walker-Peters R FB | Valentino Livramento C MF | Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse L MF | Mohamed Elyounoussi R MF | Stuart Armstrong W | Armando Broja, Che Adams LIVERPOOL: G | Alisson CB | Joel Matip, Virgil van Djik L FB | Andrew Robertson R FB | Trent Alexander-Arnold C MF | Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson L MF | Luis Diaz R MF | Diogo Jota ST | Sadio Mane SOUTHAMPTON, 18 May 2022 — The Reds are heading to the St. Mary’s Stadium this Wednesday for their last battle against Southampton. As Liverpool is scheduled to pay the Saints a visit this week, they are to brace themselves against their fearsome opponents. It’s no secret that Southampton is at the bottom of the food chain, and Liverpool is at the very top, with likely chances of winning the title, so it would only be rational for Southampton to get their guards up. Does this mean that the outcome is a done deal, though? Absolutely not. The Reds will be heading over to the Southampton headquarters championing their record of 26-8-2— making them effectively the team with the least number of losses. However, a problem looms over the powerhouse team; they’ll be playing without an integral part of their lineup. Liverpool’s Fabinho, seen as one of the greatest defensive midfielders across football leagues, is suffering a hamstring injury and has been ruled out for their last EPL matches and the FA Cup final. While esteemed manager, Jurgen Klopp, says it will make a difference to have him in and/or out of the team, they can still manage. Klopp is also hopeful, or at least hoping, that Fabinho recovers in time for the Champions League final. For now, they’ll have to make do with what they can, and besides, it’s not like they’re lacking the talent. Fabinho just happens to be one of a kind. The Saints, on the other hand, are undoubtedly in a less competitive position at 15th with 9-13-14, but they’ve already been saved from relegation in the English Premier League. As Liverpool is their second-to-the-last game, they won’t be going any further down the board if they happen to lose. Winning this won’t put them ahead of Newcastle either, so speaking with regards to this, they’ve reached an impasse. One thing they do have to work on, however, is manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s mistake if they ever intend on winning against Liverpool. Visibly struggling as they’ve only won a single match out of their last 11, Hasenhuttl’s game plans and form aren’t the best if we’re being polite. As he faces the wrath of fans, he needs to pick up the pace, but with two games left, how much do you have left to prove? To conclude, while both will be playing at a disadvantage, hefty mismanagement trumps the absence of a single player. We see Liverpool taking the cake once again, with their dreams of winning the EPL title becoming more within reach. The Saints just seem too far gone, especially against such a powerhouse of a team. But then again, as we said, nothing is said and done until it actually happens. There’s only one way to find out, and it’s to watch out for Wednesday’s game. 2:45 AM, Wednesday, 18 May 2022. St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: ARSENAL: G | Aaron Ramsdale CB | Gabriel, Ben White L FB | Kiernan Tierney R FB | Takehiro Tomiyasu C MF | Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey A MF | Martin Odegaard W | Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe CF | Alexandre Lacazette NEWCASTLE: G | Martin Dubravka CB | Dan Burn, Fabian Schar L FB | Matt Targett R FB | Emil Krafth C MF | Jonjo Shelvey L MF | Joelinton R MF | Joe Willock W | Allan Saint-Maximin, Ryan Fraser CF | Chris Wood St. James’ Park is the place to be for this English Premier fixture on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. In Newcastle’s upcoming game against Arsenal, there’s quite an expected output already, but here’s how things are looking for us. Away team Arsenal is currently fourth in the Premier League; a dangerous position as their sworn rivals, Tottenham, are one point below them. They’re going to need this win because if they don’t, and Tottenham happens to win their next, Arsenal might as well just say goodbye to their UEFA Champions League group stage qualification. Newcastle, currently in 14th, is comparably more relaxed. As they brave their last two games, the Magpies are already pretty content in their position as manager Eddie Howe expressed. Howe admitted that he feels amazing to be “mathematically safe” knowing that they’ll be staying in the EPL club for the next season even if they lose the matches they have left. It is apparent that the pressure is on Arsenal because they want to stay on top, especially with the fierce competition in the upper echelons of the league. Newcastle has simpler plans, and that is not to get demoted. In their last five games (four English Premier League games, one English FA Cup), Arsenal won four of them. They are the dominant team in paper, players, and performance, and they have a qualification to secure. This is giving us more than enough reason to believe that they will be exerting the utmost effort in their later games more than ever. Besides, Newcastle even seems to be fine with taking the hit. Their objective has already been reached, after all. More power to them! It’s a clear path for Arsenal. 3 AM (PST) Tuesday, May 17, 2022. St. James’ Park, Newcastle, England.

Fans of Dota 2 can celebrate. For the very first time this year, the Dota Pro Circuit is hosting an offline Major, gathering up several of the best teams from across the globe in Sweden to battle for $500,000 and a spot in The International 11. The Stockholm Major, which runs from May 12 to 22, will pit teams from five of the six DPC regions against one another—many for the first time since TI10 last October. This Major will conclude the Spring Tour of the 2022 DPC season. Albeit due to a number of events around the world, Chinese teams were unable to compete, forcing Valve to arrange another Regional Final to carry the Tour to a conclusion in the region. Resulting in an increase in worries concerning COVID at the beginning of the year, all six regions were forced to compete an online Regional Final at the end of the Winter Tour in February. The Major will nonetheless feature several of the top Dota players worldwide competing at the top level offline after a long gap, even without teams from China and numerous teams in presence needing to play with stand-in players rather than their usual lineups owing to a range of factors. Since four Chinese teams who normally have been admitted to the Stockholm Major were unable to participate, the tournament format was altered modified to suit a smaller roster of 14 teams. To begin the tournament, the teams were divided into 2 groups of seven, allowing for a round-robin Group Stage in which each team played every other team once in a best-of-two series. The top 4 teams from each category will continue to the upper bracket of the playoffs whereas the fifth and sixth place teams would still proceed to the lower bracket, and the bottom place team in each group will be removed at the conclusion of the Group Stage. The playoffs will take place from May 16 to 22, with the last 3 days taking place before a live crowd at Hovet Arena. Up till the grand finals, this phase of the tournament will be a traditional double-elimination bracket with best-of-three series. Participants are vying for a stake of $500,000 and 3,530 Pro Circuit points, with the finalists presumably securing a TI11 invitation. Only the top eight clubs will be compensated.

At 6 p.m. today, May 16, 2022, the Copenhagen Flames and FaZe Clan clash at PGL Major Antwerp 2022. Upon losing the 3rd round of the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Legends Stage, the Copenhagen Flames (CPH) enter the showdown. They got startled by Team Spirit after dominating their first two rounds 16-4 and 16-8 versus the Bad News Eagles and ENCE eSports, correspondingly. They opened the final match by taking the first map by 16-10 in vertigo. Spirit's Russians, on the other hand, showed tenacity and stunned the audience by flipping the series into fragments of 8-16 in the mirage and 6-16 in the old, and advancing to the Champions Stage 3-0 (three victories and no losses). The FaZe Clan, on the contrary, has qualified for the match after getting a win in the third round of the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Legends Stage. After being stunned by Ence eSports' powerful aim in the first round, the best team in the league went back on course by easily defeating their rivals within next two rounds. They won their first game 16-4 over the Bad News Eagles in the ancient. In their most recent encounter, they met Cloud9, the world's fourth strongest team, and they, too, were unaware of their opposing team's ability, winning 16-8 in nuke. Even with the Copenhagen Flames' outstanding achievements thus far, it'd be a tremendous loss if the greatest team in the globe was in danger of being eliminated in the next round on the Legends Stage, and they should use all of their tactical and technical assets, and also treat this best of three maps as a great playoff game. Our prediction is that FaZe will win the match. When looking at the map choice for the match, the FaZe team takes benefit of triumphs on five of the six maps available for the contest. Furthermore, the only map upon which CPH takes full advantage (mirage) is however a huge faze map, bringing the series to a close with only two maps.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: TEXAS RANGERS: C | Mitch Garver FB | Nate Lowe SB | Marcus Semien S | Corey Seager TB | Andy Ibanez LF | Brad Miller CF | Adolis Garcia RF | Kole Calhoun DH | Nick Solak BOSTON RED SOX: C | Christian Vazquez FB | Bobby Dalbec SB | Trevor Story S | Xander Bogaerts TB | Rafael Devers LF | Alex Verdugo CF | Enrique Hernandez RF | Jackie Bradley Jr. DH | J.D. Martinez It’s American League East against West in a Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers game this Monday at the Globe Life Field. Playing home, the Rangers have that advantage along with a slightly higher ranking across the MLB leaderboard. However, that doesn’t mean the Red Sox is going down without a fight. Starting with the home team itself, the Texas Rangers. The Rangers are 4th in the American League West and 22nd in the entire league with 13-17. Weirdly enough for the team, they fare better playing away than home as they have a 7-7 record away and 6-10 home. Onto the opposing team, the Boston Red Sox aren’t doing much better. 5th in the American League East and 26th in the entire league, the team has 11-20. The Boston team also plays better away with 7-11 compared to their home games with 4-9. It looks like the Rangers’ home advantage isn’t much of an advantage at all then, but that’s just one factor out of a few. It’s expected that Garrett Whitlock will be Boston’s pitcher and Jon Gray for Texas. With this alone, Boston has a generous advantage. If we look at the numbers, especially for earned run average (ERA) and walks and hits per inning (WHIP), Whitlock proves to be superior. For ERAs, anything less than 4.00 is regarded as acceptable while anything less than 3.00 is excellent. A pitcher with an ERA of less than 2.00 is considered outstanding. On the flip side, anything above 5.00 is dismal. For WHIPs, a good measure for pitchers of Major League level is about 1.00. Anything under 1.00 is exceptional. Whitlock has a 2.19 ERA and 0.93 WHIP while Gray has a 5.51 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. As the numbers speak for themselves, we hope the Rangers reconsider their pick if they want a better chance against Red Sox. Though they’re the underdog on the board, we’re expecting the Boston Red Sox to win in a relatively close game. Their team stats show they’re in a good position, even better than the Rangers though they play higher on the board. The Texas Rangers will definitely show their teeth in this, but Whitlock seems to be in his element at the moment whereas Gray is not. It’s Boston’s game, and we’re excited to see Whitlock unmask his potential yet again. 2:35 AM, Monday, 16 May 2022. Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX.

Undisputed super welterweight titles - Charlo - 34-1-1, Castano 17-0-2 It’s world champion against world champion this Sunday in Los Angeles yet again for the undisputed super welterweight title. Jermell Charlo and Brian Castaño are set to face off following one of 2021’s best matches that ended in a draw. As the 15th inches closer, tensions are higher as both fighters want to turn their draw into a win. 9 AM Philippine Standard Time, live on Showtime network, it’s Charlo versus Castaño. The two fighters have both spoken on the upcoming match, with both vowing to knockout the other. It’s going to be interesting how that goes! Three-belt unified champion Charlo has a dedicated game plan this time around: no frills, no fuss, don’t waste time, knock Castaño out, and make a statement. He no longer wishes another 12-round game with the Argentine boxer and rightfully so. The longer a match goes on, the more it’s bound to be in Castaño’s favor as this fighter’s strength is playing smart and applying constant pressure on his opponents. Charlo’s edge is the power in his punches. While both exhibit wit inside and outside the ring, their strategies differ with Charlo relying more on power and Castaño more on mind games and endurance. At present, Charlo holds 34 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss while Castaño has 17 wins, no draws, and 2 losses. Undeniably, their first fight was one to remember, and this time around, the expectations won’t be getting any lower. Now, everyone’s itching to know, who has the upper hand? Castaño has very little room for mistakes. To outmaneuver Charlo, he must avoid his jabs and not give him the room he needs to dominate in the ring. It’s going to be more of a match of skill rather than power for the pair. With that, it’s looking more like Charlo is in the lead. With his combination of powerful jabs, fortitude, and experience, he will be able to bear Castaño’s pressure tactics. Apart from that, Castaño has only fully recovered from his bicep tear, so he hasn’t had the same amount of sparring and preparation as Charlo. As badly as Castaño wants to make a bigger name for himself, we’re afraid Charlo won’t let that happen this Sunday. Sorry, Castaño, better luck with another fighter. Sunday, May 15, 2022, 9 AM (PST), Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: ARSENAL: G | Aaron Ramsdale CB | Gabriel, Ben White L FB | Kiernan Tierney R FB | Takehiro Tomiyasu C MF | Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey A MF | Martin Odegaard W | Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe CF | Alexandre Lacazette TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS: G | Hugo Lloris CB | Joe Rodon, Eric Dier L FB | Sergio Reguilón R FB | Matt Doherty C MF | Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg L MF | Tanguy Ndombele R MF | Giovani Lo Celso W | Son Heung-Min, Lucas Moura CF | Harry Kane The North London derby, one of the greatest rivalries in the world of football, is set to face off once again this Friday, courtesy of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. So close yet so far, with only a couple of miles to set them apart, the Tottenham Hotspurs and Arsenal have been rivals since 1913— more than a decade of competition and friction. As the days inch closer to their matchup, it’s a mix of both enthusiasm and overwhelming stress for both teams and their fans as tensions are incredibly high. If you’ve been looking to get a clue as to how the game will unfold, then this one’s for you. Let’s start with their history. Besides being rivals since the early 1900s, both teams have their fair share of trophies and titles, one more than the other. The Spurs have won two league titles and 17 major honors while the Gunners have won 13 league titles and 27 major honors. Presently in the Premier League, they continue to be on each other’s necks. Arsenal has secured fourth place following their victory over Leeds this Sunday, garnering a record of 21-3-11 totaling 66 points. Home team Spurs are directly behind at fifth with 19-5-11 and 62 points. The Spurs and the Gunners have shown great performance in their matches leading up to Friday. Tottenham was able to end with a 2-2 draw against the mighty Liverpool, refusing to give them the winning three points to outrank Man City. Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min lead the Spurs as top scorers while providing the most assists throughout the game against Liverpool and presumably against Arsenal, too. Alternatively, Arsenal won over Leeds United this Sunday. While this was quite expected as Leeds is within the bottom three of the league, striker Eddie Nketiah paved the way for their fool-proof win. Nketiah is also looking more and more like Arsenal’s hero against the Spurs with his recent playmaking. This is also an opportunity for him to make a bigger name for himself, to prove that he’s more than capable of being the Gunners’ striker for times to come. Just like that, we’ve come to a conclusion. With both teams going on a streak and with a rivalry so intense, there’s immense pressure, to say the least. We’re seeing Friday’s game ending on a draw, both aggravating and relieving fans. Best case scenario, however, we’re expecting Tottenham to win their home game if they manage to outmaneuver the Gunners. It’s getting harder and harder to anticipate these outcomes, especially with such stellar teams, so the most we can truly do is watch live at 2:45 AM (PST), courtesy of ESPN's live stream at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 2:45 AM (PST), Friday, May 13, 2022. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England.

On May 11, 2022, at 12:15 AM, ENCE eSports and G2 Esports will clash at the PGL Major Antwerp 2022. The season's major takeaway is still loaded with a string of favorable findings. After topping the previous tournament (BLAST Premier Spring Shodown 2022 Europe), it's ready to begin the Major with two crushing triumphs versus their adversaries, the 9z Team and outsiders, accordingly. They maintained possession of the games across two matches. In round one, ENCE crushed 9z 16-7 on Mirage and in the second round, Outsiders 16-6 on Vertigo. Lotan "Spinx" Giladi of Israel headed ENCE with 30 kills and a plus-22 difference versus 9z while Pawel "dycha" Dycha of Poland led Outsiders with 22 kills and a plus-11. G2 easily defeated Team Liquid 16-6 on Inferno in the first round, but it took overtime to defeat Team Spirit 19-17 on Dust II in Round 2. In the first two games, the squad that is infamous for starting on the wrong foot in high-profile tournaments eventually won two in a row, defeating Team Liquid and Team Spirit. They nearly let the triumph drift away in their second game as they prevailed 16-6, and their rivals forced overtime. Nevertheless, thanks to the outstanding play of Bosnians Nemanja "huNter" Kovac and Nicola "NiKo" Kovac, the dust2 was closed by 19-17. Nemanja "huNter-" Kovac of Bosnia and Herzegovina had a total of 51 kills in the two matches while his cousin and teammate Nikola "NiKo" Kovac had 47. Over the weekend, G2 revealed contract renewals for both players. Both sides are having a wonderful time in the tournament, so anticipate a tightly fought combat determined for each round. ENCE eSports, on the other hand, carries their battles to a new level, particularly in best of three maps matches where if they fail one map, they almost always force a third and final battle. With the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2022 Europe championship and a streak of good results, we think ENCE eSports will win the match.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LIVERPOOL: G | Alisson CB | Joel Matip, Virgil van Djik L FB | Andrew Robertson R FB | Trent Alexander-Arnold C MF | Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson L MF | Luis Diaz R MF | Diogo Jota ST | Sadio Mane ASTON VILLA: G | Emiliano Martinez CB | Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa L FB | Lucas Digne R FB | Matty Cash C MF | Calum Chambers, E Buendia L MF | Douglas Luiz R MF | John McGinn W | Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins The Reds are now on their merry way to Villa Park for a matchup against Aston Villa, with high hopes of another win to tighten their grip on their oh-so slippery spot. Stakes are high as both teams need those three points if they want to climb up the English ladder. Freshly number one in the English Premier League, Liverpool had very little time to savor their seat as they scored identically against Manchester City up until City’s latest win over Newcastle, successfully putting the Reds back in second. Aston Villa is a little lower at 11th but is a point directly below Crystal Palace with 13-4-17. 3 AM, Wednesday in Birmingham’s Villa Park, it’s Aston Villa versus Liverpool, and here’s how we see it unfolding. December 11, 2021, Liverpool hosted their last game at Anfield stadium with a 1-0 game favoring home. The Reds had 20 shots, 5 shots on target, 63% possession, 551 passes, and an 82% pass accuracy against Aston’s 4, 0, 37%, 329, and 70% respectively. Their position across the EPL board is fleeting as they bounce back from first and second with Manchester City. Liverpool has won 25, drawn eight, and lost two matches as of this writing with 87 goals for, 21 goals against, and a 66-goal differential, totaling 83 points. If they happen to win against Aston Villa, they’d tie Man City’s 86 points but is likely to outrank them due to higher combined statistics. The home team Aston Villa sits in the lower middle portion of the league at 11th. With losses greater than wins, they’ve racked up 43 points tied with Brentford. The Lions have won two of their last five games against Norwich City and Burnley, but now they need to prepare for a game against the big boys in the league. While their current record and play are seemingly underwhelming, the team has had quite a history. In their bookcase, they have seven EPL and FA Cup titles, five League cups, and one UEFA Super Cup, but what happened? In 2016, the Lions faced relegation from the league and came back for the 2018-19’s season, so it’s safe to say they haven’t quite bounced back yet. The team is also facing grand financial losses but is steadily recovering as we speak. They’ve got a lot on their plate, and their subpar performance reflects that, but that’s a huge motivation to do well nonetheless. With all things considered, we’ve arrived at a conclusion that many expect. We’re seeing the Reds dominate the game without a doubt, and if the Lions want to pull anything close, they’re going to have to do some miracle work, to say the least. With the EPL title so close within reach, Liverpool will have to tread on Aston Villa to conquer their title race against Man City, and we’re not seeing it any other way. However, if you still have your hopes up for the Lions, you can always watch the game and see it unfold yourself; we never know anyway! 3 AM, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Villa Park, Birmingham, England.

Today, May 10, 2022, at 8:30 p.m., Team Vitality and forZe will battle in the PGL Major Antwerp 2022. Team Vitality seemed to have the best day in the competition. Vitality defeated Inferno 16-1 in Round 1 against Complexity, then defeated Astralis 16-8 on Mirage in Round 2 High. Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut of France spearheaded Vitality with 24 kills and a plus-13 kills-to-deaths deficit versus Astralis after an 11-0 kills-to-deaths deficit versus Complexity. After conquering the second round of the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Challengers Stage, Team Vitality enters the showdown. The European elite team dominated the scenario's greatest crucial match from the beginning. After beating CompLexity Gaming in their first game, it was time to take on Astralis in the next round, which they did with ease, controlling the game from beginning to end. In the combat, they began by dominating the first half by 9-6 on the terrorist side in the mirage but only managed a significant lead in the second half, finishing with a score of 16-8 on total. ForZe, on the other side, is in the final after topping the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Challengers Stage's second round. ForZe is with no hesitation the greatest stunner of the tournament till the completion of the second round. The squad swept the first two games of the tournament, which were versus the Renegades and the Bad News Eagles, accordingly. They utterly destroyed their rivals in both confrontations. In round one, forZe defeated Renegades 16-9 on Nuke and in the following game, Bad News Eagles 16-7 on Inferno. To lead the all-Russian forZe team, Evgeny "Norwi" Ermolin had 44 overall kills while Aleksandr "KENSI" Gurkin had a whopping 42 kills on a plus-21 K-D. Team Vitality seems to be the strong frontrunner in this match. With each competition that passes, the European top team seemed to have finally found its stride, delivering progressively consistent outcomes and outstanding showings. Furthermore, we must recognize Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut, the world's second-best player, for his outstanding performance in the first two rounds of the tournament. Our prediction is that Team Vitality will win the match. As positive as forZe's performances appear, it is too soon to gamble on your triumph against the top teams in the league as Team Vitality has done. We should keep in mind that the group's winning streak is against the teams outside the top 10, such as the Renegades and Bad News Eagles. The two most recent major opponents (Heroic and Natus Vincere) can't manage to win 11 rounds on any map, losing all by a large margin. Our unique prediction is that Team Vitality will win 2-0. The losers of Tuesday's two Round 3 Low games will be ousted from the tournament while the victors of Tuesday's two Round 3 High games will proceed to the Legends Stage. The Legends Stage, which runs May 14-17 in the same structure as the Challengers Stage, will decide which eight teams will advance to the Champions Stage.

All you need to necessarily know - PGL Major Antwerp 2022. The PGL Major Antwerp 2022 would be the 1st of two main Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Tournaments in 2022. The tournament, which will take place in Antwerp, Belgium from May 9 to 22, will carry all together greatest CS:GO groups in the world to participate for $1 million and the title of major league winners. The Regional Major Ranking activities that determine major credential have already concluded, which means that all of the clubs have already been confirmed. Disappointments and breakthrough runs are already in the works, but spectators can expect to see all of the best CS:GO teams in attendance. PGL Major Antwerp will be divided into several stages, which will all be competed on LAN. Only the playoffs, consequently, will be carried in front of live audiences at Antwerp's Sportpaleis. The rest of the tournament will occur in a studio setting. Anyone interested in watching PGL Major Antwerp telecasts can do so through English-language streams on Twitch, YouTube, or Steam. CS:GO enthusiasts who streamed the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 will be familiar with the game's format. PGL Major Antwerp 2022 will be broken into 3 stages: Challengers, Legends, and Champions (playoffs). Every one of the participating teams with Challengers and Contenders prestige will compete in the Challengers stage. The sixteen teams will compete in a Swiss format from May 9 to 12, with each team needing three wins in order to move up or three setbacks to be removed. With the exception of elimination or advancement games, which will be best of three, all games will be best of one. Preliminary matches are determined by team seeding. The leading eight teams advance to the Legends stage while the bottom eight are excluded. The Legends stage will be the same from May 14 to 17. The eight teams from the Challengers stage will be combined with the eight teams from the Legends stage for the next Swiss category. The surviving eight teams will advance to the Champions stage by the later part of the stage. Things work differently in the playoffs. From May 19 to 22, all games will be played as best of three in front of a live audience. Rather than a Swiss bracket, all will be single elimination, with seeding determined by the the last Legends stage rankings. The winning team will receive $500,000 and the title of major champions.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: INTER MILAN: GK | Samir Handanovic D | Milan Skriniar D | Stefan de Vrij D | Federico Dimarco MF | Matteo Darmian MF | Arturo Vidal MF | Marcelo Brozovic MF | Roberto Gagliardini MF | Ivan Perisic F | Edin Dzeko F | Lautaro Martinez EMPOLI: GK | Guglielmo Vicario D | Simone Romagnoli D | Mattia Viti D | Sebastiano Luperto D | Fabiano Parisi MF | Liam Henderson MF | Kristjan Asllani MF | Szymon Zurkowski F | Andrea La Mantia F | Federico Di Francesco F | Andrea Pinamonti Empoli, along with Andrea Pinamonti, is set to take the road to San Siro stadium on Saturday where they will square off with Inter Milan. Inter Milan, 22-9-4, is currently 2nd in Serie A while Empoli, 9-10-16, ranks 14th in Serie A. For the upcoming match, Inter Milan knows well that they cannot take the risk of committing any errors as they race for the Serie A title in the following weeks, which means that Simone Inzaghi’s men need to win all of their games for the month. Empoli, on the other hand, is one point away from securing Serie A safety for the next season, and they will be positive about getting on the score sheet with one goal in their last three games, to say the least. Inter players however require three points in this game to hold their ground with Milan which means they are expected to work more for maximum points in the final weeks. Inter is heading into this game with a strong league form, having won five of their last six league games. They are expected to lock in all three points in this tie since Empoli is on thin ice after winning only one out of thirteen league games since the start of the year. As if things could not get any better for Inter, in the past few weeks, they have been scoring goals on a regular basis. They were able to score 14 goals in their last six league outings. The only downside is that Inter has struggled in terms of stopping conceding goals. One of the most awaited Inter players is Edin Dzeko. In his pro soccer career, he had a starting assignment in 362 outings. He has tallied 214 goals scored in the 33,722 minutes he played, with a total of 67 assists. Another player that is anticipated to impact the upcoming match is Lautaro Martinez. Throughout his career, Martinez has assisted on a goal 18 times while also scoring 76 total goals. He had a starting assignment in 133 outings. Currently, he averages 0.60 goals per 90 minutes. Empoli’s last game was anything but victorious as they were defeated by Torino in a final of 3-1. They concluded the match by converting 219 out of 233 passes tried for a rate of 94.0%. Empoli managed to connect 4 out of 8 dribbles attempted, which enabled them to finish with a 50.0% successful dribble percentage. Out of 11 shots attempted, they had 4 shots on goal which had them at a 36.4% rate when they were last in the field. With a total of 43 goals and 19 assists, Empoli has an average of 1.23 goals and 0.54 assists per 90 minutes. Forward Andrea Pinamonti should be able to boost Empoli as he has scored 23 goals and assisted on a goal 6 times. During his pro soccer career, he has also tallied 7 yellow card warnings. Currently, Pinamonti is averaging 0.31 goals per 90 minutes and has had a starting assignment in 71 matches. Nedim Bajrami is also believed to be one of the players to watch out for as he has been handed 10 yellow card cautions in total. He also has had 125 career starting assignments. Throughout his career, he has been averaging 0.18 goals per 90 minutes, with 22 goals and 20 assists in total. Since Milan is not set to play until Sunday, Inter has the opportunity to claim the top spot in the Serie A– that is if they manage to defeat Empoli. Seeing Empoli’s current form, we can predict that Inter might just steal the top spot from Milan. Unfortunately for Empoli, they are most likely to face yet another defeat as they take on the high-flying Inter. 12:45 AM (PST), Saturday, 7 May 2022. San Siro stadium, Milan, Italy.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: MANCHESTER CITY: G | Bravo Ederson CB | Otamendi Stones, Mangala Laporte L FB | Zinchenko Mendy R FB | Walker Cancelo C MF | Roori Fernandinho L MF | Foden Silva R MF | Gundogan De Bruyne W | Sane Sterling, Mahrez B. Silva CF | Jesus Aguero REAL MADRID: G | Thibaut Courtois CB | David Alaba, Eder Militao L FB | Ferland Mendy R FB | Dani Carvajal C MF | Casemiro L MF | Toni Kroos R MF | Luka Modric W | Vinicius Junior, Marco Asensio CF | Karim Benzema As they follow one of the most remarkable and recent Champions League semifinal first leg ties, Real Madrid is set to go against Manchester City at Santiago Bernabeu in pursuit of the second leg on Thursday night. Given the changes in the away goals rule, it will be particularly challenging in the upcoming match. Currently, Manchester City has a four-win streak, with three from the English Premier League, and one from the UEFA Champions League. They hold the top spot in EPL with 26-5-3, 83 points. Real Madrid, on the other hand, is number 1 in La Liga with 25-6-3, 81 points. Manchester City won leg 1 of 2 against Real Madrid last April 28 in a tight 4-3 game. The Citizens scored 16 shots on goal while Los Blancos scored 11. Kevin De Bruyne had the fastest goal in Champions League semifinal history when he opened the scoring inside two minutes; that is until Gabriel Jesus doubled the lead after nine minutes. For the second leg, it is expected that Manchester City will have the upper hand after they outplayed Madrid for the most part of the first half at the Etihad Stadium. To add, Guardiola remains restless as he becomes more eager to claim the European title, especially since their victory over Leeds United places them one point clear of Liverpool at the summit. Carlo Ancelotti’s men enjoyed their weekend after confirming their win for the LaLiga Santander title. However, it is still too early to celebrate as they still have to stop Pep Guardiola, who is on high alert. While Los Blancos managed to overthrow Paris Saint-Germain out of the tournament in the last-16 stage of this season by overturning a one goal deficit, they have never made their way through to the final when they lose the semifinal first leg. If the club is aiming for a 14th European crown, they cannot afford to repeat their mistakes in the past. The top two players of the team, Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Jr., are expected to kickstart the game. Unfortunately for the Madrid, Gareth Bale is out with a back injury, and David Alba could also be out of the match due to a minor muscular issue which could render the Los Blancos weak in defense. We predict that Manchester City is more likely to win 6-5 on aggregate. If Man City focuses on their strength which is to attack, they can contain Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior– two players from Madrid who can pluck goals out of nowhere. With the pressure of winning the European title weighing on Man City’s shoulders, we can only expect them to work more. Thursday, May 5, 3 AM PST, Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: VILLARREAL: G | Geronimo Rulli CB | Pau Torres, Raul Albiol L FB | Pervis Estupiñan R FB | Juan Foyth C MF | Dani Parejo, Etienne Capoue A MF | Francis Coquelin, Giovani Lo Celco W | Arnaut Danjuma, Samuel Chukwueze LIVERPOOL: G | Alisson CB | Joel Matip, Virgil van Djik L FB | Andrew Robertson R FB | Trent Alexander-Arnold C MF | Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson L MF | Luis Diaz R MF | Diogo Jota ST | Sadio Mane With three days to recover, Villarreal is set to host Wednesday’s game against Liverpool. Following a 2-0 game in favor of Liverpool, it was a stressful game for Villarreal. Besides, of course, losing, manager Unai Emery had the perfect master plan to stop Liverpool’s winning streak, but alas it was all for nothing. Playing home, English men, courtesy of coach Jurgen Klopp, outmaneuvered the Spanish with ease. As May 4’s game inches closer, Villarreal now has the upper hand in playing home. At Estadio de la Cerámica, will Villarreal bare their teeth once again, or will they crumble to the pressure of playing against the visiting Premier League club? After last week’s tumble, extra pressure is now placed on Emery after his game plan got foiled, which consequently puts the players on edge, too, they’re the ones playing after all. The Spanish teams need to go all out with this one if they want to pull a win from Liverpool. Currently ranking 7th in La Liga with a 14-10-10 record across the board, they’ve collected 52 points to stand. On the visiting side of the field, the EPL, the club, and fans rejoice as Klopp renews his contract ‘til 2026, but as for everyone else? Probably not as excited. Klopp has always been a force to be reckoned with, from his days as a player leading up to his coaching career. His talents put alongside the Liverpool ton have created excellent chemistry as they’ve racked up 25 wins, 7 draws, and 2 losses in the Premier League. With 82 points in total, they’re 30 points above Villareal’s La Liga score. Okay, we get it, Liverpool is showing a sizeable advantage, but the second leg could still be a whole new story for the teams. Villarreal’s goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli has admitted that he saw their loss coming as they visited Liverpool, but that doesn’t mean they can’t turn things around, and he’s right. A new game’s a new game. Now, who will it be for May 4th? We’re going to have to side with Liverpool for this one. As Klopp has just newly re-established his contract, morale is high among him and his team. Another reason is that with their last matchup’s turnouts and their recent loss to Alaves, a considerably “weaker” team, it’s not looking good. What more if they go against one of the best in the game? However, we can very much count on Villareal to make this match harder for Liverpool to win, and there’s nothing more we love than a good game. 3 AM (PST), Wednesday, May 4, 2022. Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal, Spain.