Mary C

Early this month, 24 CS:GO teams from around the globe descended upon Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in an effort to win the IEM Rio Major 2022 and the majority of the $1,250,000 prize pool. Only eight teams have emerged as champions after two rounds of the competition to take home this magnificent Major trophy. 

The IEM Rio Major 2022's Legends Stage is now over, and CS:GO fans can now look forward to the Champions Stage, which will include the tournament's playoff bracket. Over the following four days, the eight CS:GO teams that are still in the competition will face off in an effort to win a victor's prize worth $500,000. 

As the second and last Major of the year, IEM Rio 2022, nears its completion, CS:GO fans can anticipate a weekend of breathtaking encounters. IEM Rio 2022 is providing us with a compelling bracket. The Playoffs bracket appears to be ideally calibrated both in terms of how it will look in the future and how the matchups will feel right away. The Champions Stage of the competition will take place live at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's Jeunesse Arena, as opposed to the tournament's earlier stages, which were staged in Riocentro. 

There is a lot to read through with four elimination series over the next two days. Let's begin straight away. 

OUTSIDERS VS FNATIC 

This is going to be one-sided contest with a significant lead for one squad. Begin with the present state. Outsiders overcame reputable teams like MOUZ, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Spirit while winning three games in a row. However, despite their ups and downs, fnatic won by defeating BIG and ENCE. 

It will be simple to predict the map veto for this best of three games. Nuke and Dust 2 are receiving permanent bans. This indicates that Overpass should be the map chosen by fnatic whereas Inferno is the map that Outsiders should choose. 

Before we wrap off with this prediction, there are a few things you should be aware of. These two teams competed with one another in the Challengers Stage, and the game was incredibly one-sided. That speaks a lot that Outsiders destroyed Fnatic after just one (1) round of Overpass. Overall, we think Jame and his team will win this match with ease. 

MOUZ VS CLOUD 9 

Six straight victories for Cloud9 have them going stronger than ever. MOUZ, on the other side, has two wins and two losses over their last four games. It's also crucial to note that MOUZ struggled against teams like ENCE, Outsiders, and BIG whereas Cloud9 defeated prominent competitors like Natus Vincere and FaZe. 

For this one, it is not necessary to go into great detail about map veto. Only Inferno or Mirage makes sense for MOUZ, and we don't believe they possess the skills it requires to defeat Cloud9 on either of these maps. For Cloud9, they have a huge advantage and can choose between Vertigo and Overpass. 

Overall, Cloud9 is scorching hot right now, and it appears like nobody can beat them. It looks like sh1ro and his side will win this match after two maps. 

TEAM SPIRIT VS HEROIC 

We should expect a tight battle overall, and this one will be quite entertaining. So far at IEM Rio, Heroic has seemed reliable. Despite being severely outplayed by Cloud9, they continued to play strong Counter-Strike. That was demonstrated by victories against fnatic, Outsiders, and Liquid. 

Yet, Spirit was completely absent from the best-of-one matches. Although they were beaten by FURIA and Outsiders, both of these bo1s could have ended differently. The Brazilian team quickly recovered with wins over Sprout and Liquid. 

It will be challenging to anticipate a valid map veto, but we'll attempt nevertheless. Heroic is permanently banning Dust 2, but Spirit wants to take out Inferno first. Additionally, Nuke appears to be a sensible choice for Spirit in this match, and Overpass ought to be Heroic's default map in this match. 

In all honesty, we think Heroic is the superior team in this game. On Nuke, they can compete, and on Overpass, they will get their way. Clearly, the smart bet is on the Danish side. 

NATUS VINCERE VS. FURIA 

To wrap things up with a pretty straightforward match breakdown:  It is undeniable that Natus Vincere is among the best Counter-Strike esports teams. However, s1mple and team found themselves in a great deal of danger following a shaky start and two 16-14 losses to Cloud9 and Liquid. 

They were guaranteed a position in the playoffs after two quick wins over the Bad News Eagles and BIG. In contrast, FURIA won six straight games, but they weren't up against the same level of opposition. In this situation, pressing forward with Natus Vincere is the only sensible option. 

It is unlikely that NaVI won't meme their path towards another victory. 

After the conclusion of Day Four of the IEM Rio Challengers Stage, each of the six teams left is vying for one of the final three slots in the Legends Stage. 

Beginning on Nov. 5, the Legends Stage will feature a number of CS:GO powerhouses competing for a share of the $1.25 million prize pool. The winner of the Major will receive a prize of $50000 and a spot in both the IEM Katowice 2023 and the BLAST Premier World Final in 2022. 

But first, we must make it through yet another day. A slip may spell disaster for Team Vitality, Cloud9, GamerLegion, OG, 9z, and Fnatic, who are all skating on thin ice. Each team has one shot left to advance to the main stage as they balance on a precarious 2-2 tightrope. 

Team Vitality and OG will compete against each other in a CS:GO match at the IEM Rio Major 2022 on November 3 at 10 PM PH time. 

The match will be played in a best-of-three style because the event is run under the Swiss method. The pair's strongest player advances to the Legends Stage while the loser is disqualified from the Major. The teams will meet again in 2022 at this time. The teams' most recent meeting took place at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2022. The final score of the game was 16:11 in favor of the apEX roster. 

The Vitality team is the tournament favorite and currently sits in second place in the team rankings provided by the HLTV.org webpage as of the time of writing.  

Who will exit the IEM Rio Major 2022, OG or Team Vitality, and who will move on to the Legends Stage? 

The time has finally come, the players are prepared, and the Aegis of Champions has been re-erected, indicating that The International 2022 is about to begin in Singapore. 

Having followed a revamp that included a Last Chance Qualifier, which has seen Team Secret and Team Liquid punch their tickets at the last moment, 16 groups are now ready to compete on Dota 2's grandest event for a portion of a prize pool that has recently exceeded $15 million. 

Evil Geniuses is the first team to be selected for the upper bracket of the TI11 Main Event. 

After beating Gaimin Gladiators 2-0 on the third day of the TI11 group stage, the North American team managed to win an upper bracket playoff place. 

At the time of this post, Evil Geniuses leads Group A with a 12-2 record. 

After two underwhelming performances in the previous two Dota 2 Majors of the DPC 2022 season, EG has returned to becoming an international superstar team. 

PSG.LGD, OG, Hokori, BetBoom Team, and BOOM Esports were all defeated by the North American team. But one team they couldn't beat was Team Liquid, the runner-up in the TI11 LCQ. 

With Tal "Fly" Aizik back as captain, EG's draft picks and overall gameplay performance appear to have vastly developed. When using versatile heroes like Primal Beast or Shadow Fiend, the group is essentially unbeaten. 

Egor "Nightfall" Grigorenko has also surfaced as one of the tournament's star players thus far. As per DotaBuff, the 20-year-old actually has the greatest KDA record with 16.42. 

BOOM Esports and Fnatic have withstood The International 2022's group stage to obtain a place in the playoffs, despite a challenging 4 days. 

Boom Esports completed as the eighth seed in Group A, whereas Fnatic was the fifth seed in Group B. 

Talon, another SEA organization, was eliminated from the group upon getting swept by Entity Gaming in the deciding game series for Group B's final seed. 

Boom Esports had a difficult group because they suffered from the start. Even after having an advantage in the early stages of the game, OG pushed them in their first series. It foreshadowed what was going to come over the following three days as the team tried to establish their rhythm. 

They only won three games in two days, finishing the second day as the eighth seed. Sad to say, on day three, they went 0-6 and were swept in all three of their series, complicating their playoff chances. They finished with a 3-13 record, and became the tenth and final seed in Group A. 

Boom had a 1.42 percent chance of getting out of groups, according to renowned Dota 2-stats man Ben Steenhuisen. 

The Boys from Manila, on the other hand, would defy the odds. They came out swinging right away, handing EG their third loss of the group stage in under 39 minutes. 

The top picks in North America would succumb without a fight. In the second match, EG found their tempo, as Artour "RTZ" Babaev's Naga Siren gradually choked out Boom's map and early stages of the game lead. But Boom would grasp on, finding a team wipe in the 41st minute despite being 12k down. 

They would maintain their advantage from there, but EG would stay near. Boom would not force EG to tap out until the 55th minute. Handling a team wipe following a huge Blackhole refresher play onto EG's cores that were bought back. 

Boom's journey took over into the tiebreakers, as they resurrected themselves with a fast 33-minute win over Soniqs, accompanied by a dominant abolishment of BetBoom to finish the round-robin tiebreaker easily. 

Boom now advances to the playoffs, where they will face reigning champions Team Spirit in a best-of-one do-or-die game. 

Apart from Boom's wild week, Fnatic's path to the playoffs was stable. The finishing up day one with a 1-3 record, tied for last spot, but gradually gripped their way back up after day 2, finishing with a 5-5 record. 

By the third day, the team had swept China's Team Aster in two tight matches and was in assertion for the upper bracket. It was a nail-biter of a series, with Fnatic having to backdoor in Game 2 just to defeat the DPC's fifth-ranked team. 

Amidst the peaks of the early hours, they were swept by Talon in the series finale of the day. Despite the damage, the team remained in contention for an upper bracket spot upon defeating TSM on day four. The SEA juggernaut's luck ran out, as Thunder Predator's draw with Beastcoast was sufficient for the South American team to secure the final upper bracket spot with no tiebreakers. 

Fnatic would complete fifth in the group stage. They will encounter the Gaimin Gladiators of Group in a must-win playoff series. 

The International 2022 playoffs begin on Thursday, October 20, with groups from the upper bracket taking the field first and knockouts following later in the day. 

Upper Bracket R1

 Lower Bracket R1

Enthusiasts can now finally find out which 20 teams will advance to the group stage following the end of the Dota 2 TI 11 Last Chance Qualifier. 

Following four days of intense combat in Singapore, Team Secret and Team Liquid advance to the group stage of The International's TI 11 LCQ. In just 3 matches, Team Secret easily advanced through the upper bracket and qualified. On the contrary, Team Liquid had to withstand the challenges of the lower bracket after losing to Virtus.pro in the semifinal. 

747 Fun to Cash  

We cannot overstate the historical significance of the 16th ESL Pro League Season for the global community. The champion title is more significant than an $823 000  prize pool (by CS:GO standards). The tournament's system is distinctive, particularly in terms of its length. The participating teams will protect their organization's flags during the month. There are 24 teams competing in the competition, broken up into four groups of 6 teams. A spot in the quarterfinals will go to the group's winning squad. The teams who finished second and third advance to the first round of the playoffs while the other teams are eliminated. 

Every player in a group will encounter every other player for group points during group stage matches, which will be conducted in a BHO3 format. A BO3 format will be used for the playoffs, with a BO5 format for the grand final. 

Despite finishing last in the group, Liquid made it through the opening round and was prepared for combat. As for MOUZ, they waited long enough for their opponents. We'll quickly learn whether the team benefited from such a long break. The two teams will face each other in the quarterfinals tonight, Sep 29 at 9:30 PM Philippine Standard Time. 

Last year, the MOUZ squad altered its starting lineup frequently—almost after every competition. Bymas' turn came next, and he was also substituted by the player from the academy. Bringing players into the core appears reasonable given that the MOUZ academy roster is excellent and has long been rated higher than the main roster. We can certainly discuss a completely functional and well-run academy, but we cannot discuss the consistency of the main roster. 

MOUZ is performing remarkably well in this competition. The group enjoys playing together and is concentrated on the outcome. They picked up four victories during the group stage to demonstrate to all teams that they will not give up easily. They are currently ranked eighth in this competition. MOUZ is as driven as they come, yet they need experience just as much. The lone member of the team with sufficient expertise to execute at this level is immobilized. 

The European team will have a slight edge in the map pool over the Liquid. Mirage is the most powerful card and the only overpass card in the MOUZ stats without loses. 

Like numerous organizations, Liquid completely changed its lineup towards the end of the previous year. They performed admirably and positioned their game as the dominant one on the local scene. Competing European CS, meanwhile, didn't immediately pay off for them. The club decided to change the current coach after a string of losses and the discovery of a significant lag in the European market. The new coach would have a different game vision than Liquid's typical "run-and-gun" approach. And now that daps is the team's new coach, things are starting to turn around. 

They played with confidence on the Players Break field in one of the BLAST series tournaments against higher caliber teams, and now they are in the EPL playoffs. 

Liquid isn't extremely confident going into this event. They miraculously defeated the favorites Cloud9 to go to the playoffs. However, a needless defeat to Eternal Fire nearly ended their prospects of progressing. The majority of the players' individual skills should be beyond question although oSee has shown himself to be an erratic player recently. However, although oSee didn't finish the game, his teammates stepped in, indicating strong teamwork. YEKINDAR, who developed excellent form and won multiple matches for his side on his own, is also noteworthy. 

The Liquid has the edge of experience when compared to MOUZ, which will probably be the deciding element in this match. Additionally, there is a ton of MOUZ content available, unlike the group stage. 

The introduction of Damian daps Steele as head coach was the most recent lineup adjustment. For more than two months, Mareks YEKINDAR Gainskis has served as a stand-in for the group.

The ESL Pro League Season 16 opener between Team Liquid and Movistar will take place on September 21. Which group will be dominant will shortly be known. The game will begin at 1:30 AM.

BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2022 saw excellent performance from Team Liquid. The team was successful in placing 1-3, earning a spot in the Fall Final. At the competition, the lads just lost once to Natus Vincere. However, they were successful in winning every other game. Yekindar is a fantastic addition to the team and has emerged as its focal point. The fifth member of Team Liquid is currently listed as unknown on HLTV; however, YEKINDAR has been confirmed for ESL Pro League Season 16; thus, he should take part in the competition. He currently plays a crucial role for the team. Team Liquid will attack Nuke in the upcoming game, taking out one of their opponent's best maps. Team Liquid must choose either Vertigo or Mirage. The Mirage selection is more likely given that they lost to Vertigo in their most recent meeting. The club has a perfect winning percentage on this particular map. However, the overall performance for the Spanish team is only 33%. Mirage seemed too promising. I don't believe the Spaniards will be capable of competing against Team Liquid considering the defeats Movistar Riders suffered against 1WIN and ECLOT on this map. 

The Movistar Riders have not been recently performing well. In their last six games, the team has just one victory. First, the Spaniards lost to B8 in the third open qualification round for the Road to Rio 2022. Then Movistar Riders fell at the SteelSeries Nova Cup Tournament in Dash 2 where they took last place after dropping all of their games (their adversaries weren't even among the top 50 of the HLTV ranking). Although being highly ranked, the team doesn't play well. Yes, the boys had time to be ready for the competition, but it's not apparent if they were able to address the issues with the game. The team will probably choose Ancient given the restriction on nuclear weapons. In their previous head-to-head matchup, they had already defeated Team Liquid. It is absurd to alter what is effective. More so, it is because the other maps are substantially poorer. Movistar Riders may certainly claim Ancient for themselves, but on the other maps, Americans appear to be the front-runners, especially in light of how the lineups are now set out. 

The last competition prior to The International 2022 is the Dota 2 Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) 2022. (TI11). The Dota 2 TI11 Regional Qualifiers or the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) standings are no longer used as a means of qualifying teams; therefore, the LCQ provides them with an additional chance to contend for the coveted Aegis of Champions. 

The teams participating in The International 11 will be joined by the teams finishing first and second in the LCQ. Prior to the TI11 Group Stages, the competition takes place in the SunTec Stadium in Singapore from October 8–12, 2022. The TI11 Last Chance Qualifiers 2022 are covered in full here, along with information on how to watch, the schedule, the structure, the participating teams, and more. 

How to watch the TI11 Last Chance Qualifiers 2022? 

PGL's official Dota 2 Twitch channel will most likely broadcast the Dota 2 TI11 Last Chance Qualifiers for The International 2022. The matches will also probably be streamed live on the tournament's official YouTube channel. 

Fans at 747 Live may always watch games live from the video feature of the Dota 2 game panel on the website in addition to watching the live stream on the official Twitch channel. 

From October 8 to October 12, 2022, the Dota 2 Last Chance Qualifiers 2022 will take place. All games in the TI11 LCQ will be fought in a BO3 tournament with double-elimination rounds. The Grand Finals games, which are conducted as a BO5, are the sole exemption. All games will be performed using Dota 2 patch 7.32b. 

The top two teams (i.e., the teams ranking first and second) in the Dota 2 TI11 Last Chance Qualifiers 2022 will qualify for The International 11 competition rather than a cash prize. The rest of the teams will not move on and will forfeit their final opportunity to compete at TI11. 

The teams that finish second and third in each DPC region's regional qualifiers will make up the twelve teams that will battle in the last-chance qualifiers. The following list includes every team taking part in the Dota 2 TI11 Last Chance Qualifiers 2022: 

• Nouns (North America) 

• Wildcard Gaming (North America) 

• Infamous (South America) 

• Tempest (South America) 

• Team Secret (Europe West) 

• Team Liquid (Europe West) 

• Outsiders (Europe East) 

• Natus Vincere (Europe East) 

• Xtreme Gaming (China) 

• Vici Gaming (China) 

• Polaris Esports (Southeast Asia) 

• T1 (Southeast Asia) 

T1 wins the SEA Regional Qualifiers. Thanks to Ana's excellent performances. 

Credits: Dota Digest

As the last round of qualifiers gets underway today, the International 2022 (TI11) Regional Qualifiers are going to warm up. The Southeast Asia (SEA) Regional Qualifiers for TI11 featured a match between T1's newest lineup and Execration in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. Both the Western Europe (WEU) and Southeast Asia (SEA) regions are competing. T1 defeated Execration 2-0, with Anathan "ana" Pham serving as the series' lone champion. 

With this victory, T1 advances to the Upper Bracket Semi Finals where they will play RSG in a few days while Execration is eliminated and moves to the Lower Bracket. 

Quick summary of the T1 vs. Execration game 

Since T1 recently hired two-time TI winners Anathan "ana" Pham & Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen to replace Karl "Karl" Baldovino & Kim "Gabbi" Santos. The fanbase had ridiculous hopes for the organization. 

First round 

T1 drafted an unusual Marci carry for Ana in game one while also selecting Morphling and Nature's Prophet. Along with Shadow Fiend (SF) and Death Prophet in the off lane, Execration picked up a carry Pudge for Jinn "Palos" Lamatao on the other side. 

T1 was having a terrible time in the first rounds since Topson was continuously being pressed in the middle lane. However, Ana's Marci was controlling his lane, which enabled the rest of T1 to support Topson's recovery in the middle of the match. Execration was unable to counteract the carry Marci; thus, it decided to end the game after 30 minutes, earning T1 its first series triumph. 

Second round 

Execration continued to use the Death Prophet and Shadow Fiend in Game 2 of the series while also adding Lycan as an off lane hero. On the contrary, T1 maintained the Morphling and Marci and chose Pugna, one of Topson's iconic heroes. 

Execration was the attacker this round since it was consistently winning team clashes in the early stages of the game. However, Ana's Morphling was doing admirably as he helped T1 win the game in the closing moments. Despite Justine "Tino" Grimaldo's Lycan's best efforts to infiltrate T1's base and force a third game, T1 was able to end the match at 52 minutes and sweep the series 2-0. 

Anathan "ana" Pham had a stellar performance amidst having little time to get to know the other T1 players; he was able to achieve a total KDA of 24/2/17 and only died once in both matches. 

With this win, T1 advances to the Upper Bracket Semi Finals, where they will play RSG in two days. Execration faces a difficult path because it is the team's final opportunity to go to TI11 through the Lower Bracket. 

With TI11 drawing near, teams that were unable to directly make the cut for the tournament will be required to participate in the regional qualifying rounds. Only the top three teams from each region will be given a direct invitation while the second and third-place teams will compete for the final two invites in a Last Chance Qualifier. 

With numerous prestigious organizations competing for a spot at TI11 this year, the Western European (WEU) region is among the most competitive regional qualifiers. Although Nigma Galaxy, Liquid, and Team Secret are expected to be the community's overall top choices, the unexpected rise of underdog teams like Entity and Goonsquad will render for a hyper competitive matchup in the upcoming qualifiers. Here is a glance at the participants, the rules, the schedule, and additional details for the TI11 WEU Qualifiers. 

Despite being heralded as straight invites to TI11, OG, Tundra Esports, and Gaimin Gladiators, many superstars are still on the lookout for tickets. Which of the four significant ones completely falls short? 

We have four openers, and every one of the "favorites" will face a challenge. Let's examine each in detail. 

TEAM LIQUID VS DGG ESPORTS 

Lasse "MATUMBAMAN" Urpalainen and Ludwig "zai" Whlberg were two of the notable players on Team Liquid when it first began. However, Liquid's performance over the previous Tours severely declined, preventing them from receiving a straight invite. 

Considering Liquid's terrible showing throughout ESL One Malaysia 2022, the chances are against DGG Esports. While DGG did admirably to get third in Division 2, they are essentially a collection of all-stars, so we shouldn't anticipate any surprises from them on Liquid. 

GOONSQUAD VS NIGMA GALAXY 

When Nigma is involved, the contest becomes a little bit more intriguing. With the exception of Syed "SumaiL" Hassan, the former TI7 Champions have been together for the longest in their careers. Although SumaiL has a reputation for being a very unconventional player, he is undoubtedly one of the best mid-players on paper. We are perplexed as to why Nigma chooses to sign SumaiL given that she has a history of having terrible chemistry with numerous teams outside Evil Geniuses. 

However, Nigma stands a higher chance of winning versus goonsquad, which is captained by Gustav "s4" Magnusson, a former TI3 Champion. S4 is still able to hold his own against the existing competitors with ease although most seasoned players become less effective as carry players as they age. 

However, as a whole, Goonsquad isn't much of a danger, especially after finishing last in DPC WEU Tour 3 Division 1. 

TEAM SECRET VS INTO THE BREACH 

Secret restored their former powerful status and gathered momentum. Following the acquisition of Roman "Resolut1on" Fomynok, Secret was able to demonstrate their skills in the ESL One Malaysia 2022, finishing a good third. As a result, Secret should be considered one of the popular contenders for the TI11 WEU Regional Qualifier. 

The Division 2 team Into The Breach provided a respectable demonstration of a reliable squad and is undoubtedly no pushover. Unfortunately, Secret has a better situation because they can use Resolut1on as their wild card in the qualifications. 

We saw how Secret grew quickly with solid drafts and competed fiercely with Team OG, particularly Reso's Enigma, which became into a constant menace in every team battle. In addition, Baqyt "Zayac" Emiljanov, who took YapZor's role as a semi-support, has excelled. In addition, we haven't yet seen Zayac's infamously recognized iconic heroes. 

ALLIANCE VS ENTITY 

Alliance has had the worst performance among the namesakes of the traditional powerhouses and has yet to emerge victorious from the trench. Every time they lost, they received criticism, which brought attention to the overall issue with the roster. 

What appears to be a gradual adjustment from the new players soon starts to make Nikolay "Nikobaby" Nikolov look clumsy. Since the roster has been such a complete letdown, Alliance may simply need to start over with it. 

Entity, on the other hand, is the new pillar of Division 1 and had a significant debut this DPC (2021-22). Young talents are featured, notably the contentious Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko. There is no doubt that Entity can defeat Alliance and compete for the qualifying championship. 

This year, there are a number of intriguing contenders for the TI11 Western Europe Regional Qualifier, and they aren't only the well-known big companies. This is fantastic since it allows us to meet some fresh people at TI11 given how much conventional powerhouses have declined. 

Nonetheless, it is only one qualifying spot, but two others may get their second opportunity in Last Chance qualifications. 

Two direct invites to International 11 are notably noteworthy for the North American arena (TI 11). It happens at the TI11 NA Regional Qualifiers although TeamSoloMid and Evil Geniuses already have their flight tickets to Singapore. 

Due to the abundance of potential opponents, it appears that NA frequently becomes the weakest area although the circumstance has improved in the DPC (2021-22). After working in the industry for about two years without sufficient facilities, Soniqs may now properly display their ability on a large scale. 

They intend to make a significant impact after winning their ticket after moving on from the Regionals. 

The Quincy Crew alumnus Soniqs is unquestionably the top team to have competed for the TI11 IQI within the last 8 years. They frequently challenge TSM and EG; therefore, Soniqs' position in the TI11 NA Regional Qualifiers appears straightforward. 

They face Felt for the first time in Division 1, who is sixth in the DPC tour 3 and poses little challenge. The latest gathering of Soniqs' original members confirms their win, and their lineup is robust. 

It looks like Soniqs is not surrendering a match until almost the Upper Bracket championship match. The possibility of Nouns being the new challenger looks remote. 

ALPHA VS 5RATFORCESTAFF. 

We are far more well-known than this, so we aren't going to be able to make the championship team. Alpha has recently become a mainstay of Division 2, where they have also recently secured first seeds, but they don't have a particularly strong stack. The crowd actually experienced this as an exaggerated sweep over the scoreboard. As a result, 5RATFORCESTAFF is having a lot of issues competing with the rising stars. 

The Division 2 team KBU.US's smack in the US Twenty22 NA qualifying, on the contrary, may prevent 5RATFORCESTAFF from winning. The latter does have a well-known pub star on its team, and 5RATFORCESTAFF is so terrified of them that their abilities are subpar. 

In light of this, we may anticipate that the 5RATFORCESTAFF will adjust the tempo as needed. A young mid-laner named Francis Kitzz Arriola is known for playing aggressive heroes like the NA superstar Syed SumaiL Hassan. Neither team should be taken into consideration for the tournament. 

WILDCARD GAMES VERSUS THE CUT. 

Samuel Sammyboy Anderson plays for Wildcard Gaming, one of the more recognized big players in NA history. The gamer is capable of selecting the shots straight away despite his lackluster performance in the NA region. The fact that the team has improved since last year may be another edge Wildcard enjoys. 

It should go without mentioning that the aforementioned has no hope against the Cut. Simply put, Wildcard appears to be the more knowledgeable contender; thus, it wouldn't be unexpected to predict a win from Wildcard. 

NOUNS AND KBU.US. 

Last but not least, we were inspired by the game featuring Nouns and KBU.US. Nouns is undeniably more credible and knowledgeable, particularly among 4 Zoomers supporters. TSM, EG, and Quincy Crew were third in the NA league. Due to recent sponsorship, Nouns has developed into a viable team, allowing them to invest their money elsewhere. 

Given that Danny iAnnihilate and Cote are among its players, KBU.US is not a team to be trifled with. The seasoned athlete, who has played for multiple teams throughout his career, is a force to be reckoned with. iAnnihilate, a mid-player, employs standard mid-picks from the current meta, like Puck and Storm Spirit. As a result, KBU.US has the potential to be a strong team that can win a battle when given the chance. 

Although it doesn't appear like Nouns are a group that consistently makes errors, you may still defend it if you take it seriously. 

Yes, the absence of players with prominent profiles causes us to frequently have a hostile perception toward the TI11 North American Regional Qualifying. It is clear that there are no armed forces to represent the preceding groups, such as Soniqs, TeamSoloMid, and nouns, despite their recent purchases. 

The International 11 Eastern Europe regional qualifier has begun, and there are several intriguing matchups to look forward to. This tournament is critical for the EEU region because Team Spirit is the sole EEU representative who was able to qualify as a direct invite. 

Outsiders have fallen to 12th position due to Vevilalve's latest clarification on DPC point computation. While Outsiders is unquestionably one of the most awaited teams to qualify for TI11, competition at the TI11 EEU regional qualifier is intense. 

NaVi was struggling during the 2021/22 Dota Pro Circuit season. NaVi, on the other hand, was able to reclaim the momentum they had missed in the regional qualifiers by substituting two of their players at the conclusion of the second tour. 

The Russian team Outsiders and the Ukrainian team Natus Vincere both recently won matches in the Dota 2 qualifying tournament for The International 2022. Natus Vincere (NaVi) defeated BetBoom Team 2-1 on Monday, September 5 in the EEU Regional Qualifiers.   

Outsiders will compete for a spot in the finals against Navi today, September 6 at 8 PM Philippine Standard Time. The groups will now face off in the upper bracket finals. Both have been acknowledged to be in the Top 3 and will contend for TI 11 Singapore.  

Navi and Outsiders have at least obtained a place in the TI11 Last Chance Qualifiers. They will, nevertheless, compete for an immediate slot into the TI11 Group Stage by winning the Eastern European Regional Qualifier (EEU). To advance to the main stage, Outsiders or NAVI must win two more games. In the lower bracket, the 3rd participant of the TI11 interregional qualifier for Dota 2 will be decided. 

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

LEICESTER CITY:  

G | Danny Ward 

CB | Jonny Evans, Wesley Fofana 

L FB | Timothy Castagne 

R FB | James Justin 

C MF | Wilfred Ndidi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 

D MF | Youri Tielemans 

L MF | Harvey Barnes 

AM | James Maddison 

CF | Jamie Vardy 

BRENTFORD: 

G | David Raya 

CB | Pontus Jansson, Ben Mee 

L FB | Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey 

R FB | Bryan Mbeumo 

C MF | Mathias Jensen,  

D MF | Vitaly Janelt, Christian Nørgaard 

L MF | Keane Lewis-Potter  

CF | Ivan Toney 

It’s early days for the English Premier League; Leicester City is not having a good start. Manchester United are on their merry way to King Power Stadium after two consecutive wins for their match against Leicester City this Friday, September 2. As Manchester looks for their third win, the Foxes need to fend them off if they want to leave 20th place and earn their first win.  

Before Manchester United collected their two wins, they unexpectedly lost to Brentford, so many doubted them ahead of their game against Liverpool. Lo and behold, it ended 2-1 in favor of Man United! After that, they were also victorious against Southampton, so it sure is looking like Manchester’s luck is turning up. New head coach, Erik ten Hag, now has better hope and confidence in his team, especially after their rather shaky starting matches.  

Opening season ‘22-’23 in a slump, the Foxes’ condition and morale aren’t getting better with the persistent speculation about their main players’ performance. However, that still doesn’t cover why the majority of their men are underperforming. The only player we see standing out and performing efficiently right now is James Maddison, who unfortunately is suffering a minor injury at the moment. We’re sure coach Brendan Rodgers is desperate for Maddison to return as soon as possible, but until then, there’s only so much he can work with.  

Looking into their history, their last five fixtures to be exact, Leicester remains undefeated by Manchester United ever since December 2020. Leicester won three of those five, and the remaining two were draws. The question now is, will they be able to keep that undefeated streak, or will Manchester United reap a sweet victory after almost two years? 

In the end, we have to look at the now, the patterns, and the performances. While there is a win waiting for Leicester right around the corner, we’re positive they won’t be getting it from Manchester. Man United is playing with certain confidence right now after getting their first victory from their bitter rivals, Liverpool. With Maddison missing from the roster and other players struggling to find their place, it’s Manchester United’s game 3-1. 

3 AM Philippine Standard Time, 2 September 2022.  King Power Stadium, LEI. 

On Wednesday, August 31 at 5:45 PM, the decisive Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will take place at the Araneta Coliseum as San Miguel and TNT compete for control of the PBA Philippine Cup finals. 

Jayson Castro, who is now 36 years old, showed he is still among the best in the league by leading the Tropang Giga to a crucial 100-87 victory in Game 4 to square the series at 2-2. This prevented the Tropang Giga from slipping into a hazardous 1-3 hole. 

Castro stole the show by posting a finals-high 26 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals on the same night Beermen star June Mar Fajardo earned his ninth Best Player of the Conference plum. TNT also received timely contributions from Roger Pogoy and Mikey Williams, who fired 21 and 15 points, respectively. 

However, given that they have not dropped back-to-back games in this conference, the Beermen are anticipated to fight back with all of their might. 

In order to maintain his strong finals form, Fajardo in particular is adamant about aiding San Miguel in regaining the upper hand. 

The six-time PBA MVP, through four games, averages 20 points, 17.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. 

But Fajardo cannot win alone; the Beermen are also counting on players like starters CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter, as well as the bench group of Vic Manuel, Jericho Cruz, and Mo Tautuaa, to perform well. 

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS:- 

SOUTHAMPTON: 

G | Gavin Bazunu 

 L WB | Carlos Salcedo 

 R WB | Kyle Walker-Peters 

L CB | Mohammed Salisu 

R CB | Yann Valery 

CB | Jan Bednarek 

C MF | Romeo Lavia, Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse 

CF | Adam Armstrong, Joe Aribo 

CHELSEA F.C.: 

G | Kepa Arrizabalaga 

CB | Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma 

L FB | Ben Chilwell 

R FB | Cesar Azpilicueta 

C MF | N’Golo Kanté, Mateo Kovacic 

A MF | Kai Havertz 

LW | Christian Pulisic 

RW | Hakin Ziyech 

S | Timo Werner 

Following their last bout in April, Southampton is on a mission to exact revenge after their 6-0 defeat by the hands of Chelsea F.C. last season. Now, back at St. Mary’s Stadium at Southampton, the game is to be aired at 2:45 AM (PST), and it’s time for the home team to redeem themselves. 

Had it been bad luck or blessing, Chelsea’s head coach, Thomas Tuchel, was given a touchline ban for one game, and it gave him a fresh viewpoint in assessing his players in action. Tuchel has been in great need to see improvements from his team, and they’ve been able to deliver. Edouard Mendy made amends for his error from their previous game with Leeds United, and Raheem Sterling was able to score his first two goals playing for Chelsea. Besides that, they’ll be introducing fresh faces soon, and that’s always a marvel. As for their current standing, Chelsea needs to make sure that their 5-point distance from leading team Arsenal doesn’t get any farther than it is now to keep momentum. 

Scoring four points and ranking 13th on the scoreboard, as far as Southampton is concerned, they have games wherein their performance is superb; the one against Man United, for example, wherein they were genuinely outstanding throughout most of the game, but they’ve been inconsistent enough to still lose. As maybe one or two new players shall enter Southampton, fans and coach Ralph Hasenhüttl are optimistic about their addition. Hopefully, it’s enough to better their trajectory as a supporter would expect.  

Chelsea won three points over the weekend, and that’s something to mention, but taking their shorter recovery time into account, we expect Southampton to take a share of the fruits of this game in a draw. It’s a draw on Wednesday at the St. Mary’s Stadium. 

Premier League — 2:45 AM (PST), Wednesday, August 31, 2022. St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton, England. 

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

CHICAGO CUBS: 

C | Wilson Contreras 

FB | PJ Higgins 

SB | Nick Madrigal 

S | Nico Hoerner 

TB | Zach McKinstry 

LF | Ian Happ 

CF | Christopher Morel 

RF | Seiya Suzuki 

DH | Franmil Reyes 

TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 

C | Danny Jansen 

FB | Vladimir Guerrero 

SB | Cavan Biggio 

S | Bo Bichette 

TB | Matt Chapman 

LF | Lourdes Gurriel 

CF | George Springer 

RF | Teoscar Hernandez 

DH | Alejandro Kirk 

Just like that, and it’s set! Right at the Rogers Centre, the Toronto Blue Jays will be facing off against the Chicago Cubs with the first pitch happening at 7:07 AM (Philippine Standard Time). With the teams coming from the American League and National League respectively, it’s a chance for them to represent their leagues and divisions. The question now is, who gets to show off those bragging rights? 

Playing home, the Toronto Blue Jays are in the middle of their division in the AL East in third and 10th in the entirety of the majors. Presently, they are in a dangerous position in their series against the LA Angels as they’re one game away from being swept. Their first game against the Angels was an excruciating 12-0 loss. Before that, however, the Blue Jays had a 3-game sweep against the Boston Red Sox and won three out of four games against the Yankees. What does that mean for them now? They’ve been horribly inconsistent for sure, and it doesn’t help that Tuesday’s game will have Jose Berrios pitching for the team. He’s definitely not one of their strongest with only a 5.28 earned run average, which is good. Don’t get us wrong, but it’s not considered above-average in the MLB. 

Looking over to the visiting side, the Chicago Cubs have been just as inconsistent as their Canadian rivals. Also ranked third in the National League Central, the Cubs aren’t as effective in the MLB at 22nd place with their 55-72 record. In their campaign against the Milwaukee Brewers, they’ve won game one, lost game two, and game three is only about to happen. With the St. Louis Cardinals, they’ve won twice but lost thrice in their 5-game series. Though they’re within the bottom thirds of the scoreboard, that doesn’t mean we should look down on them, and the Toronto Blue Jays know better than to underestimate an opponent as they’re getting whooped by the Angels. The Cubs are still undecided with Tuesday’s pitcher or perhaps just not disclosing this info as part of their play. We expect Patrick Wisdom to shine for the upcoming game if he only hadn’t been placed on the injured list recently, but we can still depend on Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner to save the day.  

At the rate of how things are going at the moment, it’s hard to decide on a victor when neither team is at their best or worst. In the end, we’re going to root for the team that makes more sense to support right now, and that is the Toronto Blue Jays. No major players are injured, better numbers on paper, and better performance in general. It sucks to be cliché, but the underdog is bound to lose on this one.  

7:07 AM (PST), Tuesday, August 30, 2022. Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

FC CINCINNATI: 

GK | Roman Celentano 

CB | Geoff Cameron 

FB | Tyler Blackett 

FB | Nick Hagglund 

MF | Raymon Gaddis 

MF | Obinna Nwobodo 

MF | Allan Cruz 

MF | Alvaro Barreal 

F | Luciano Acosta 

W | Brenner 

S | Brandon Vasquez 

COLUMBUS CREW: 

GK | Eloy Room 

LB | Milos Degenek 

RB | Jonathan Mensah 

CB | Pedro Santos 

CB | Steven Moreira 

MF | Darlington Nagbe 

MF | Sean Zawadzki 

MF | Aidan Morris 

CF |  Miguel Berry 

F | James Igbekeme 

F | Luis Díaz 

It’s an intraconference clash once again as this season of Major League Soccer is about to come to its close. Having nine games left to the 2022 season, the Columbus Crew will be leaving their home stadium to play at Cincinnati FC’s TQL Stadium for a chance at climbing up the board. 

Preceding their scheduled game against Cincinnati, Columbus Crew’s last league match ended in a draw with their visitors, the Atlanta United. While it’s not exactly a win, they get to enjoy an undefeated streak of three. They are currently in seventh at the Eastern Conference with 8-11-6, garnering 35 points across their 25 matches.  

Cincinnati FC, on the other hand, is also coming off a draw with the New York Red Bulls in a 1-1 match. They’re running on a 5-game undefeated streak, with four being draws. Sitting in ninth place in the East, they’ve collected 8-10-8 which has amounted to 34 points through 26 matches. They’re technically tied with New England in terms of their win-loss record and points. New England just has fewer goals against in comparison which have earned them the eighth place. 

Now, let’s talk history. In their last five head-to-heads, Columbus was victorious for three matches, including their most recent one on July 18 while Cincinnati won once back in 2020 and then a drawback in July 2021.  

Cincinnati seems to grasp the shorter end of the stick, but striker Brandon Vasquez’ performance for the team has been incomparable. Vasquez is a top scorer along with Brenner and Luciano Acosta and has scored 15 goals for the season, making him tied for the third-highest scorer in the 2022 league. 

To conclude, these teams are considerably neck-and-neck with their similar stats and performance plays. However, the Columbus Crew has proved victorious time and time again, not to mention how they won their last face-off in July as well. While Cincinnati does have a Vasquez in their team, they can’t depend on one player alone. Our fingers point to Columbus for this game, and we’re excited to see them bolt past Inter Miami and Orlando City on the board after they pull this win.  

7:30 AM (PST), Sunday, 28 August 2022. TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH. 

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

BOSTON RED SOX: 

C | Kevin Plawecki 

FB | Eric Hosmer 

SB | Trevor Story 

S | Xander Bogaerts 

TB | Rafael Devers 

LF | Tommy Pham 

CF | Enrique Hernandez 

RF | Alex Verdugo 

DH | J.D. Martinez 

TAMPA BAY RAYS: 

C | Francisco Mejia 

FB | Ji-Man Choi 

SB | Brandon Lowe 

S | Taylor Walls 

TB | Yandy Diaz 

LF | David Peralta 

CF | Jose Siri 

RF | Randy Arozarena 

DH | Harold Ramirez 

It’s an American League tussle in Major League Baseball this weekend's series at Fenway Park. Hosting will be the Boston Red Sox at home as the Tampa Bay Rays head over from their home base in Florida. Will the underdogs draped in Red find the means to pitch out the Devil Rays? We will find out this Sunday.  

Starting with the AL East team of better numerical stature is the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are currently dominating the East next to the New York Yankees with 69 wins and 55 losses. They’ve most recently swept their series against the Los Angeles Angels, and across the board, they’ve managed to grapple their place within the top 10 teams, 8th specifically. Shane McClanahan leads the Devil Rays’ pitching with his laudable 2.20 earned run average (ERA) and 182 strikeouts. However, Corey Kluber is expected to pitch for Sunday’s game. Kluber in comparison is less secure with only 4.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts. While it’s decent, it’s not as impressive when put side-by-side with McClanahan’s.  

Looking over to Boston’s side, the Red Sox have been performing slower than they did last season as they finished 7th overall. Now, they’re 18th at this point of the season and fifth in their division with 60 wins and 65 losses. The Toronto Blue Jays owned their latest series with a 3-game sweep. Nick Pivetta is expected to pitch for the upcoming game and conveniently is also the Red Sox’s pitching leader with 4.24 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 139 strikeouts.  

Quite clearly, all of the circumstances are pointing to the Tampa Bay Rays’ favor, and it would be foolish of us to go against it. While the Boston Red Sox can definitely manage a win if they get back in their groove on time, we still don’t see that happening anytime soon. We stand by the Tampa Bay Rays, and it’s their game on Sunday.  

4:10 AM (PST), Sunday, August 28, 2022. Fenway Park, Boston, MA.  

Vic Manuel is intent on helping the Beermen win the 2022 Philippine Cup after previously being on the losing end of San Miguel's victories in PBA finals. 

After scoring 20 points in San Miguel's 109-100 Game 2 victory over the TNT Tropang Giga on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Manuel turned in his greatest performance to date while donning a Beerman's uniform. 

The 35-year-old cager aims to finally win the elusive PBA trophy with the Beermen, a team that has previously hindered his championship chances. 

When San Miguel overcame a 0-3 series deficit to win the 2016 Philippine Cup, an accomplishment known as the "Beeracle," Manuel was with the then-Alaska Aces. He and the Aces had suffered a title defeat against the Beermen in the 2015 Governors' Cup. 

The player told CNN Philippines' Sports Desk in Filipino on Thursday, "This is my dream team, my favorite team since I was a kid. Now I'm playing for San Miguel. It's a great feeling to be in the finals with them, who I battled for the title many times before. I hope I will get lucky this time and win the championship, that's what I'm after. 

Manuel claimed he is committed to finishing the job for San Miguel even if he is still healing from a bothersome calf injury. 

It's difficult to recover from an injury; I played in the semifinals while not fully healthy, and I'm still not fully healthy in the championship game. I'm working hard to strengthen my body. 

On August 26 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, the Beermen will look to take a series lead over the Tropang Giga. 

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

BOSTON RED SOX: 

C | Kevin Plawecki 

FB | Eric Hosmer 

SB | Trevor Story 

S | Xander Bogaerts 

TB | Rafael Devers 

LF | Tommy Pham 

CF | Enrique Hernandez 

RF | Alex Verdugo 

DH | J.D. Martinez 

TORONTO BLUE JAYS: 

C | Danny Jansen 

FB | Vladimir Guerrero 

SB | Cavan Biggio 

S | Bo Bichette 

TB | Matt Chapman 

LF | Lourdes Gurriel 

CF | George Springer 

RF | Teoscar Hernandez 

DH | Alejandro Kirk 

Thursday, August 25, at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays have flown over for their thrilling series. Game one has already finished in 3-9 in favor of the visiting Blue Jays, and now game two is afoot. Which team will you be gunning for? 

The Boston Red Sox, as fruitful as they were last season finishing in 7th in the MLB, are currently part of the lower part of the scoreboard. 18th out of 30, and 5th in the American League East, the Red Sox have collected 60-63 for themselves thus far. If we take a look down at the table below, their team numbers are comparatively less impressive than their opponents. Taking to account that they’ve lost four of their last five games, we can expect them to be just as inconsistent for the upcoming game.  

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off a high after winning thrice in a series of four against the mighty New York Yankees. Heading into this game, they’ve already won game one. Assuming that they were able to size up Boston, they can expect glad tidings. This and the fact that they’re 8th in the league with a record of 66-55 and a commendable accumulation of record statistics, they’re set on winning again against the humble home team. Kevin Gausman is expected to pitch for the team on Thursday, and it’ll be a feast for the eyes of fans and analysts alike.  

Team Statistics 

In conclusion, the Toronto Blue Jays have the better chance of winning in game two— more than thrice as much of a chance if we may add! On paper, in records, and in recent performances, the Toronto Blue Jays have been more consistent by a mile and have a higher caliber roster than that of the Boston bullpen. So if you’re looking to pick sides, pick Toronto! Sorry, Boston! 

7:10 AM (PST), Thursday, August 25, 2022. Fenway Park, Boston, MA.  

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

MINNESOTA TWINS: 

C | Gary Sanchez 

FB | Luis Arraez 

SB | Jorge Polanco 

S | Carlos Correa 

TB | Gio Urshela 

LF | Alex Kirilloff 

CF | Byron Buxton 

RF | Max Kepler 

DH | Jose Miranda 

HOUSTON ASTROS: 

C | Martin Maldonado 

FB | Yuli Gurriel 

SB | Jose Altuve 

S | Jeremy Pena 

TB | Alex Bregman 

LF | Michael Brantley 

CF | Jose Siri  

RF | Kyle Tucker 

DH | Yordan Alvarez 

Coming in for a three-day series, the Minnesota Twins will be ending their campaign with the Texas Rangers to pay Minute Maid Park a visit. The Houston Astros shall be welcoming the Twins in their humble abode with the intent of obliterating them, of course. 8:10 AM on Wednesday, August 24th, the pair shall go head-to-head with hopes of avenging their recent losses, but who comes out on top? Here are our thoughts.  

Our home team, the Houston Astros, is currently one of the leading teams in the MLB ranking third (78-45) and trailing closely behind the New York Mets (79-44). In their division in the American League West, the Astros wears the crown with the Seattle Mariners (66-56) at a safe distance behind. Per their last five games, Houston has won three with one of which included thrashing the Chicago White Sox in a 21-5 game. If we look at their records alone, the Astros have the advantage; however, batting leader Yordan Alvarez has been injured. While there is a chance he might play Wednesday’s game as he’s categorized under day-to-day, there is also a chance he might not. 

Looking over to the visitors, the Minnesota Twins are in the middle of the board. With 62-57, they rank second in AL Central and 14th overall. As they await to finish their series with the Rangers with one more game, they’re clutching to win as they’ve lost twice in the four-game series. Dylan Bundy is expected to pitch this Wednesday. He possesses a 4.60 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 77 strikeouts. Being in the MLB limbo, there’s no hiding that the Twins aren’t very established this season though they are performing a bit better than their last. Pitching isn’t a strength of theirs right now, and Houston will very much exploit that. 

Ultimately, one team stands taller than the other in this coming fixture, and it looks like the Houston Astros will be cutting their losing streak short to the demise of the Twins. Houston might not have Alvarez right now, but they can afford to play without him. If he does turn up, it’s going to be even harder for Minnesota. It’s a clear wager, and we’re betting on the Houston Astros.  

8:10 AM (PST), Wednesday, 24 August 2022. Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX. 

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

MANCHESTER UNITED 

G | de Gea 

FB | Diogo Dalot 

CB | Raphaël Varane, Lisandro Martínez 

LB | Tyrell Malacia 

MF | Frederico Santos, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes 

W | Jadon Sancho 

F | Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford 

LIVERPOOL F.C.: 

G | Alisson Becker 

RB | Trent Alexander-Arnold 

CB | Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk 

LB | Andrew Robertson 

MF | Fabinho, Naby Keïta, Jordan Henderson 

F | Mohamed Salah 

W | Luis Díaz 

A MF | Roberto Firmino 

Two bitter old rivals face each other for the first time this season in the English Premier League— it’s Manchester United versus Liverpool FC. With Liverpool stale with two draws, Man U suffering two losses, and a seething dislike for one another, it’s both a game of football and egos. Scheduled at the Old Trafford in Manchester this Tuesday, August 23, it’s the Red Devils against the Reds.  

Erik ten Hag, Manchester’s coach, was well aware of the size of the challenge waiting for him at Old Trafford when he took the position in May. Now, however, the situation with the Red Devils’ struggles has become more apparent in real-time, even in such early stages. After finishing the ‘21-’21 season sixth, Man United started their ‘22-’23 Premier League campaign with a home defeat to Brighton and then unexpectedly undergoing an agonizing 4-0 defeat in the hands of Brentford. Starting the season with two defeats, in conjunction with poor goal difference, is definitely a bad omen and has left them at the bottom of the league, only to be saved from 20th place by West Ham with three losses. The pressure is on for the Red Devils’ coach as he needs to rebuild the team quickly. 

As of late, Liverpool has been able to claim a point in the 2-2 draw against Fulham in their opening week of the campaign, as well as concede first against Crystal Palace last Monday. When looking at the last season’s standings of the Premier League, Liverpool missed out on the title by just one point from Man City, despite taking them all the way to the finals. To the dismay of the fans, they had also lost the Champions League to Real Madrid; however, they were able to win an FA Cup and EFL Cup double last term, beating Chelsea to the punch. This upcoming match is hoping to give Liverpool the needed confidence boost they need in the Premier League to move up the ranks and hopefully succeed in what they were unable to do last season.  

Liverpool will undoubtedly have a strong attitude going into this game, and we may very well see the favorites heading into Monday's encounter. It would certainly not be a surprise to see these giants score a hefty amount of goals against their opponents. However, having the home crowd advantage, Man United is very much up to the challenge against Liverpool with a little bit of caution in how they play out this game. Erik ten Hag has been preparing the team for this match, and overall, it is looking to be a draw between the two teams this Tuesday at the Old Trafford Stadium.  

3 AM (PST), 23 August 2022. Old Trafford, Manchester. 

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 

MIAMI MARLINS: 

C | Jacob Stallings 

FB | Lewin Diaz 

SB | Jon Berti 

S | Miguel Rojas 

TB | Joey Wendle 

LF | Jorge Soler 

CF | J.J. Bleday 

RF | Avisail Garcia 

DH | Jesus Aguilar 

After trailing behind the New York Yankees for the longest time, the Los Angeles Dodgers are now steadily conquering the majors. 13 losses above their closest competitors, the New York Mets, the Dodgers have been consistent in their leaderboard status with 82-36. The Miami Marlins, on the other hand, are suffering a losing streak of two. Being on the lower thirds of the league with 52-67, going up against the frontrunner will definitely be a tireless feat, especially since they’re playing away. Dodger Stadium will soon reveal the odds of the pair, this Monday, August 22. 

In their last three games, the Miami Marlins have scored 10 runs. For nine of their last 10 games, they’ve scored three or fewer runs, and they’ve lost 13 of 17 games wherein they scored three or less. Two players, in particular, lead the Marlins: Jesus Aguilar and Sandy Alcantara for batting and pitching respectively. Aguilar has a .237 batting average, 15 home runs, and 48 runs batted in. Alcantara shows off an exceptional earned run average of 1.92 and 152 strikeouts.  

As for the Dodgers, per their last three games, they’ve scored nine runs, and they would score four or more runs in seven of their last 10 games. With their usual runs of four or more, they’ve managed to win 10 out of 11 games. Leading the pack, Trea Turner has collected 146 hits and 83 RBI for the Dodgers. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts have a combined sum of 257 hits and 134 RBI. Tony Gonsolin has an ERA of 2.12 and 113 strikeouts while Tyler Anderson has a 4.15 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and a 1-3 record against the Marlins. 

While this matchup is a definite hero versus underdog trope on paper, we hate to be predictable, but we expect the hero to take this home with ease. One reason we’d like to cite is how two players specifically hold most of the team’s weight. With Alcantara’s ERA alone next to Gonsolin, he’s considered to be the ‘better pitcher’ if we look at the numbers alone. Considering how only he and Aguilar make up the scoring leaders, the moment those two have an off day or an injury, they’re likely to experience a tilt. The Dodgers have a better spread of skill in their roster right now. As they dominate the game, it’s not hard to understand why we see them being victorious once again.  

4:10 AM (PST), Monday, 22 August 2022. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.