It wasn’t pretty by any means, but the LA Thieves managed to secure a win over the Seattle Surge at the OpTic Chicago Home Series, 3-2. This is the first match for both teams after a roster change for Stage 4. The LA Thieves were in the spotlight, though, as their decision to bench Cuyler “Huke” Garland loomed over the roster.
LA traded for Huke just a few weeks ago, marking one of the biggest transactions in Call of Duty League history. This was almost immediately followed up by the Thieves benching him for TJ “TJHaLy” Haly after the Stage 3 Major. The move was and still is controversial, but for the time being LA can breathe easy after securing a narrow win over the CDL’s worst team, Seattle.
LA narrowly defeat Seattle at Chicago Home Series
Despite the series seeming to favor LA, it was a close match through and through. Seattle kicked off the action with a surprising win in Hardpoint, bringing the LA Thieves’ favorite spot into question. That doubt decreased somewhat when LA went on to win the next Search and Destroy, but the squad still didn’t seem in sync.
Following the Search and Destroy, one of the more shocking Control maps of the year took place. The Thieves started out hot, winning two rounds in a row, but then Seattle surged back and won the next two. This led to an exhilarating round five, where LA somehow clutched a 4v9 live advantage while on offense.
OH NO IS RIGHT, @Maven 🤯@LAThieves with the ICE! #CDL2021 pic.twitter.com/wth7igJt3k
— Call of Duty League (@CODLeague) May 29, 2021
The series didn’t slow down after that either, as the Surge won the next Hardpoint to force a map five. Despite that, LA took complete control of this Raid Search and Destroy, winning them the series. It was a rocky start in the first match without Huke, but the Thieves found a way to get a win.
However, against stiffer competition, the results might differ. LA needs to shore up some areas, largely their Hardpoint, if they want any chance of defeating the CDL’s top teams. As for Seattle, it was a good showing for the roster’s first match with Nick “Classic” DiCostanzo in the lineup, but simple mistakes again cost them a series.
