Week 1 saw a series of exciting matchups throughout the league, and also confirmed that I am horrendous at predicting results! Nevertheless, take a look at the four eastern matchups played this Tuesday, and personal quick recaps of each team’s performance in their prior game. Note: my analysis means literally nothing, but you’re here reading it anyway!

Match 1 : Whitecaps vs. Soviet Ballers

Whitecaps

Soviet Ballers

Match 2 : Blockwork Orange vs. Balls on Parade

Blockwork Orange

Match 3 : Block the Capsbah vs. Gate Registration

Block the Capsbah

Gate Registration

Match 4 : Balladega Nights vs ThunderCaps

Balladega Nights

ThunderCaps

Last week, the Whitecaps saw a pair of losses against Balls on Parade, while the Soviet Ballers split with Block the Capsbah- ballmurray., Acapuck- True North, H.D, and P0PThe Whitecaps struggled this past week, putting forward only 4 caps over the span of both games - 3 of which are attributed to their defensive players.While Acapuck and ballmurray didn't put up extraordinary numbers, it’s not as though they were completely slacking. They kept the pace of the game moving quickly, and had BOP’s defense consistently on the move - when they were out of the base, they held well. Their issue, however, was getting out of base. At times it seemed like a glorified pub, with a whole host of 2 on 1 grabs, and a limited number of plays in which they worked together. While their quick plays occasionally aided the team, their impatience to get into their own base led to the elimination of regrab trains and a lack of time for proper blocks to be set up.The Whitecaps defense found themselves in a difficult position last week, missing crucial opportunities that could have turned the pace of the game. I think they played a bit too risky at times, and as such found themselves repeatedly out of position, unable to get ahead or set up blocks in time. In preventing, they were often stuck too close to the flag, allowing for some sneaky grabs from the BOP offense. True North did do well on the opposite end of the map, holding the flag well whenever needed for his team, and scoring a pair of caps. If the WC trio on defense can find the proper chemistry, it could help the team capitalize on some of the important plays. With improved game awareness and team discipline, this team could become more competitive, as there is talent on both ends of the map. A strong performance by their B team also suggests they have a long roster depth to test combinations out, as we saw this week on D.- #Frozen, Sheldon- Fozzy, WillieThe Soviets saw a strong performance on Boombox, but lost a tight matchup on Iron by 1 cap - but teamwork and experience helped lead them to controlling the momentum for most of the games. In particular, the last half of Iron saw the team with 5 minutes of hold (three more than BTC), with ten minutes of prevent (six more than BTC).#Frozen and Sheldon played well together - offering the support where needed, and the patience as called for. There was a notable knowledge of the maps played, with their use of map elements allowing them to literally run circles around the BTC defense. Moreso than other teams, they remained aware of the game, which clearly influenced their play and actions - allowing a constant regrab train and the defense time to act. I do think part of the reason behind their close loss on Iron was due to the constant presence of 4 opponents on Offensive D, leaving few situations to actually cap.Fozzy and Willie worked well in base with one another, although struggled to get the returns once the flag carrier was out. I think the main issue is they played too similarly, and had the same inclinations - moving together rather than working together, which isn’t a terrible problem to have when you can mostly shut down the offense regardless. I think it’s an issue from an early-season game as opposed to anything else, and think that once they work out their kinks, they’ll continue to be formidable.If the Whitecaps can improve on their decision making, I think these games can be close - but with the smart gameplay and experience from the Soviets, they’ll face a challenge.Last week, Blockwork Orange suffered an overtime loss as well as a normal loss to Balladega Nights, while Balls on Parade notched two wins over the Whitecaps.- Dance, Steez- NotEvenMex and Papa JohnBlockwork’s performance on Boombox emphasized one important note about their team: when they’re on, they can be great. When they’re not, they’re awful. Two halves on Boomxbox saw 5-1 performances, one in favor of each team, leading to a tight overtime.Dance and Steez both put up high numbers of hold, but suffered in converting them into caps - partially in turn to mistakes by their defense, but also due to a host of risky decisions. For some of the play, there was a lack of trust in the overall team, leading to heroic movements with lower success rates. With smarter play, their mechanics could continue to challenge other defenses.I was most impressed by Mex’s and John’s ability to lose blocks right before a potential cap ( Balls on Parade- yearofme, Lou Williams- Pinstar, Tonto, DennaMoreso than other factors,, I thought Balls on Parade played smartly and patiently in their win over the Whitecaps. While it didn’t lead to an especially fun matchup to watch, their control, and usage of powerups, aided them in controlling the flow of the game.There’s not too much to be said regarding the BOP offense - they worked well together within base, and were each very capable of handling their own with the flag. The team benefited from consistently being ahead and putting pressure on the Whitecaps, though I’m not sure which team that was due to. While they’re not exceedingly jukey, they quickly make correct decisions when it's called for - it will be interesting to see how they fare against a defense comfortable with the solo returns, and whether they can take advantage of it.I was intrigued to see Pinstar starting out on D for the Balls on Parade - From watching him play previously, I knew he was extremely talented on offense, though it looks like he’s comfortable enough on both ends of the map. Denna did perform well in the ten minutes she played, with her 19-1 KDR. With the combination of Pinstar and Tonto, I think Pinstar pllayed a bit too aggressively, often relying on snipes and boosts that didn’t always pay off - whereas Tonto was a bit too conservative, hesitating a few times too often. Regardless of the combination played, I think the trio has potential as they become more comfortable working together.#biasLast week, Block the Capsbah split with the Soviets, while Gate Registration swept the ThunderCaps.- Crossover, Allegiant., Some Man 7- Doris, TurdFergusonBTC saw a loss on Boombox before a strong half on Iron led them to a win - the team started off shakily, but improved over time as they played a bit more slowly and safely.After starting off with Allegiant in the first half of Boombox, Some Man 7 subbed himself in - a decision that seemed to pay off, allowing the offense of BTC more room and options. Crossover, apparently didn’t impress people last season, but has a chance to this one! SM7 appeared to be the better fit for the offense, a bit more reserved than his two counterparts. The offensive defense on this team could use a bit of work - on IRON, I think the sole reason caps were minimized were due to the constant presence of the team’s defense on offensive D - without the extra two, I believe a different scoreline would have appeared. With a risky defensive combo, they’ll have to be a bit more aware and safe in the following weeks. As we delve into more offensive maps over the next few weeks, I do think this team’s offense will improve dramatically, as they have the slippery jukes once out of base.Doris and TurdFerguson are both talented defenders, but as a duo had issues keeping the flag in base, particularly on Boombox. They’re both prone to taking the risky snipes, or boosting backwards, which usually never paid off. On a smaller map like Iron, the strategy didn’t doom the team, due to an ability to get back across the map fairly quick - on Boombox, it certainly hurt the team’s chances. Against an offense that works well together, they’ll need to find a bit more chemistry and work well to cover one another’s mistakes. I do think that as a defensive team, they’ exert enough pressure chasing to give their offense a bit of time.- Beast Mode, Destar- Fuzzywuzzy, OpponentGate Registration saw a pair of impressive performances leading to a sweep of the ThunderCaps. The main point of separation last week between the two team’s was GR’s teamwork on both ends of the map.Beast Mode and Destar worked well together in all aspects - positioning, powerups, and getting out of base. On a pair of defensive maps, their chemistry definitely served the team well - coupled with a good use of powerups, they had few issues getting out. An advantage for the offense : the quick caps. While both offenders were able to hold where needed, they were able to quickly convert on opportunities, rather than the typical holdfest we might otherwise see.Fuzzy and Opponent continued their mini-season run with a strong opening performance against a formidable offense - and while BM and Destar did well, the defense was the reason the team had the sweep. A simple look of the stats explains that they were both among the top 5 in prevent, and each had high return numbers. With strong individual performances from each, their comfort in working together provided the advantage they needed. There were few situations in which they found themselves surprised, or out of position, a testament to smart play.Gate Registration’s discipline will prove the advantage on Iron, with their positioning and teamwork giving them the win. On Fiend, I think any mistakes on part of the BTC defense won’t bear huge consequences, as they can still quickly get across the map.Last week, BDN saw a pair of victories, including an overtime win, over Blockwork Orange, while the ThunderCaps weren’t able to squeak out a win over Gate Registration.- solf, Tantrew, Randy Marsh- Devious, JubjubsLast week, we all witnessed solf lead his team to victory and himself to the 10 TGASP. Coupled with a rotation of Randy Marsh and Tantrew, the trio performed well each game, providing a challenge for Blockwork’s Defense. Randy and Tantrew each had their merits on offense, and while Tantrew seemed to have an easier team getting out of base, Randy was well-equipped to set his team up with opportunities to take advantage of. The experience of all three was a notable benefit, with their positioning and game awareness helping them in crucial game moments.When BDN was able to find a reset, Devious and Jubjubs took full advantage of it,minimizing the opportunities of their opponents to grab, and setting up nice blocks for their offensive teammates. On the occasions where the flag did get out of base, they struggled getting the returns - while they did face a jukey offense, they came across difficulties in positioning and getting ahead - but with a talented offensive D combo, it didn’t pose too much of a worry.- d0pe, THE DOT- Gargantua, honeybearWhile the ThunderCaps certainly look like a close collection of players off the map, their match last week against Gate Registration appeared to more closely resemble 4 players acting individually - and while each player is talented, I think a lack of teamwork - against a closely working team, hurt.With respect to the amount of grabs they had, d0pe and THE DOT had fairly low holds across the halves. While this could be attributed to a host of flaccid grabs, I think the issue is less the tendency to grab but instead the lack of support surrounding a grab - As the game went on, I think d0pe and THE DOT worked together less and less, and put each other in inopportune situations. They’re both very talented at holding the flag, but struggled to actually to get to that point. As the grabbiest offense in the league, the number of flaccids, and double flaccids, did not make things easy for the TC defense. I think at times their issues could stem from faults in communication, or from pacing too quickly.The TC defense was a bit more successful, and probably the reason things were kept close against Gate Registration. Gargantua led the league in returns, and both him and honeybear posted strong numbers in prevent. The number of issues was relatively minimal, and they did a decent job at staying ahead and putting pressure on the Gate Registration offense. Much like their offensive counterparts, I do think that the two could benefit from a bit more trust - there were the occasional moments where the lack of played into a missed opportunity. Honeybear showed this week that his season in MLTP wasn’t a waste, scoring a pair of caps for his team. As the two become more comfortable together, they’ll help TC get back on track - and with their capability on the other side of the mpa, things should smooth out if they can slow down the pace of the match.Balladega Night’s defense will pose a challenge for d0pe and THE DOT on offense, and I think they’ll have some issues getting out. On Fiend, I think they’ll finally find a map they can be comfortable on - grabbing won’t be too much of an issue, letting them excel out of base. -Tune in next week to see how wrong my predictions are!