After a hectic week and
Mirelin signing my Point and Shoot, it's playoff time; 34 countries entered this Highlander Nations Cup to claim glory as the best nation for Highlander. After 8 groups, with the top two teams qualifying, we are left with the remaining 16, who now duke it out in the knockout stages. If you lose, you're out and gone from the competition. With the teams left, we have so much variety, like the aggression of
Poland, and the difference of playstyle of the
USA, it's a diverse last 16 which should hope to bring us some great games ahead. Providing us with some great matchups early on, the nations still left in hope to provide victories for themselves, and their country. Just like football, but without the prizes and the money. And possibly the women although that's rather ambiguous. The only tiebreaker match between
Scotland and
Latvia was an extremely close affair, but
Latvia came out on top having a 2-1 victory on maps. The Scots took Gullywash 5-0, and the Latvians took a 2-1 victory on Upward and a 2-0 victory on Badwater. This means
Latvia play
England. But getting back on topic, how are the teams progressing? Are they prepared? Will they provide us with some excellent entertainment? I hope so!
Group A
#1 Seed: France (Won 5, Drew 1, Lost 0: Points 17)
#2 Seed: Norway (Won 5, Drew 1, Lost 0: Points 13)
#1 Seed: France
The French have always been admired for their upbringing of great French teams and players. Fortunately for France, they've been meshed into a solid team, with veterans of the game too. After losing out in the grand finals last time out to Germany, the French should be looking to go further. With outstanding DM from the players of France, from Fl1p to Flippy to Tek, the French have a very well structured combo which is supported by extremely strong flanks. In particular, with Fl1p at least having a neutral or positive K/D in the officials played, you can see the shining quality in France is the DM. With the main proportion of players being from the victorious Premiership team, DAROUTOUTOU, they've played together for a pretty damn long time. As well as adding the 6v6 gamesense and plays, on paper, France are arguably the strongest team; whilst some of the players may not stand out, all the players on the starting roster boast high-level experience and sense, meaning they can overcome most challenges. For the first round of playoffs, they play Portugal, who seem to be weaker on paper compared to the French. With no maps nor date set, little is known about the matchup as of now. In fairness, the French won't particularly have to prepare hard - their players know what they're doing any day of the week, and I haven't seen a wrong footing for the French just yet. Maybe they could slip up against a Portuguese side that look quite comfortable after the group stages? We just don't know, ladies and gentlemen.
#2 Seed: Norway
After a lacklustre finish in the first Highlander Nations Cup, the Norwegians have already exceeded their previous outing, by qualifying for the playoffs. With a few roster changes here and there, Norway, at least to me, were a small surprise. Taking 2 clean victories from Lithuania and Slovakia, and then taking a point off of what some people would call the favourites, France, means the Norwegians sit in an uncomfortable situation. Their players, new and old, struck through all at different moments. Qnx and E-thug have both had a great Nations Cup so far, with both putting out lots of damage and frags. Highlander players like fANNY and ThaZimmer have also performed very well throughout. The Norwegians would be sitting pretty, if not their opponent in the first round of playoffs; the USA roared past Group B, where they sat pretty for a while. Ping differences may be at an advantage for Norway, but would that even matter at this high-level competition? The Norwegians, overall, have to step up their game in this first week, otherwise it could all end as soon as it began. Great players currently run through the Norwegian blood, although some have had off days in officials. An example is JoakimMos, who sadly went 5:17 against the French in one Upward round. Costly mistakes, or simple off days could hinder and make a sufficient impact on Norway's performance against the USA. Expect it to be a good game, but it could be even closer and tenser than most people expect if Norway comes prepared and ready. If fANNY plays like he did against the Lithuanians and Slovakia, and Ace to return to his Medic position, tune into it; you wouldn't regret it if you viewed it.
Group B
#1 Seed: USA (Won 6, Drew 0, Lost 0, Points 18)
#2 Seed: Portugal (Won 2, Drew 1, Lost 3, Points 8)
#1 Seed: USA
The US were always expected to do well in this competition. Fortunately the predictions were still correct. Having every single player on their roster play at least one season of UGC Platinum, the experience that surrounds the
USA like an aura is large. The combination of
Ruwin and
Stabby Stabby roaming the flanks, with
Xalox and
Overseer forming one of the best combos to grace this Nations Cup, the US look on fire. Not even dropping a single point is impressive, but not dropping a round is even better, leaving the US with a 100% win and round rate as of now. If it continues, you could see one of the top 4 teams to get through already, although we're not even at that stage yet.
USA are proven to have beaten the top teams in Europe, but to beat the entirety of the continent with the best players? Could it happen? If they continue to play like they do so far, that could all well happen. Playing
Norway, the US should be confident, but not too complacent. Both teams boast such amazing players that it could be a shock, as I'd guess you would favourite the US to win. As would I, but you never know what could happen in this Nations Cup. We've already had some drama and some shocks, which leave us to hunger for more. If
Sigafoo is playing, as he should be, expect some crazy Engineer plays; racking up a total of 5 dominations against
Croatia in Week 2 on Gullywash leaves everything to be desired. Watch out for the US - they'll mow past any team with even the slightest ill commitments. It'll be good.
#2 Seed: Portugal
I've always liked
Portugal. The players, the community, the commitment. Now they've managed to qualify into the playoffs and prove themselves even more. Although a shaky set of results in their group, the Portuguese sound... happy. Although losing out 6-0 to the #1 seed of Group B,
USA, their results have been solid otherwise. Picking up a 5-1 victory against
Austria and drawing 3-3 with
Croatia mean they qualified in 2nd place with 8 points. Having the Portuguese "godfather of TF2",
Haunter, renowned for his 6v6 experience is certainly a big asset. Following up with players like
Kiler4funN' and
FakemasterPT, and other 6v6 players, with the lowest being division 4 in ETF2L, the Portuguese certainly have the talent there. Have they converted it into successful results? Most of the time; after dropping 3 points to the Croatians, I doubted
Portugal slightly. Fortunately, my doubts have faded mostly. They seem confident as well as calm and collected to contest against a powerhouse in the Highlander scene:
France. I think the Portuguese should be going into this prepared, although it won't be an easy matchup. Quite the opposite, infact;
Portugal will find this hard as well as exhausting, but I feel like they could provide an upset. With
Kalhó and
Lastpt up to game, I feel like
Portugal will find it easier than expected. Whilst the French have a dominant standpoint in Highlander, the Portuguese have always had some form of talent, regardless. Whether they can convert it into a win, we shall have to wait and see.
Group C
#1 Seed: Poland (Won 6, Drawn 0, Lost 0: Points 18)
#2 Seed: Russia (Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 2: Points 12)
#1 Seed: Poland
The Polish are arguably one of the underdogs going into the playoffs. After taking an arguable 6-0 victory against a surprising second seed,
Russia, the Poles sat on top of Group C since the beginning. Not dropping any points in the group stage left them with a maximum of 18 points. Leading into playoffs, the Polish are looking strong indeed. With
Wonder and
Anrzej having excellent displays throughout scrims and officials, combining with the stunning Soldier play of
Bonkers and brilliant picks from
Linka and
Phroblem, the Polish have everything covered. After an extremely dull performance in the first Nations Cup,
Poland have picked themselves up and have acquired great momentum. Pulling off a first seed in a questionably difficult group, with a large base of players who've known each other for a long time,
Poland are like a little community in this Nations Cup. It's quite possible, with consistent practice and commitment, the Polish can go very far. However, their first matchup against
Canada in the last 16 isn't the most enjoyable matchup. Nothing's been set in stone as of yet, with maps and dates, so it could be possible that it could be one of the later matches played within the week. To get through comfortably, I think
Poland need to express themselves quickly in the first maps, to show their beastly aggression and DM right off the bat. If they get a few rounds, they could use that momentum to bring away a victory, which could be quickly. However, pings could be an issue for either team due to the locations of both countries. Watch this space though - it'll be good.
#2 Seed: Russia
Russia were always going to qualify, regardless of the situation; their players and co-ordination have always been known. However, they suffered a knock from the Polish, meaning they dropped 6 points that could have been easily caught up to by
Romania. Little hiccups from the Russians like dropping points against a newly-revitalized team may hinder some confidence or beliefs coming into the playoffs. However, I wouldn't be surprised if you see the Russians go back to their usual attacking self, with possible changes, although nothing has been confirmed; the strong combo of
Irfx and
Pala4, back from the old days of
Turbopoop E-Sports, who still play together on the Russian team, along with
ShadowBurn and
Recluse supporting the flanks look solid as ever. Although they did have hiccups in their group, I don't see why
Russia couldn't get through to the quarter-finals. However, their opponent could do some talking, and potentially knock them out straight away. There's no denying
Russia are an extremely solid team, but if they still continue to have slight hindrances along the way, whether it be unavailability, commitment or lack of scrims in general. This could potentially lead to a slight unprepared factor coming into the match, and could result in a loss if their opponents capitalize on the situation. With
Russia playing on Sunday, it could be a good time to size up the other teams who they could potentially play later on in the Nations Cup. Nevertheless, expect
Russia to give you good, solid entertainment - their team has talent and huge plays running through their veins, which will certainly help them throughout.
Group D
#1 Seed: Finland (Won 6, Drawn 0, Lost 0: Points 18)
#2 Seed: Canada (Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 2: Points 12)
#1 Seed: Finland
Finland, much like France, are known for their spawnings of amazing players across the 6v6 and Highlander scene. Fortunately, they've manage to cultivate and carefully nourish a great team. Having the Premiership Scout, Zappis, and the unsung yet notorious Sniper, RouHe, make the Finns strong in 99/100 categories, if there were such categories. Their dominance mostly showed through their victory against the second seed in their Week 2 game on Upward, Canada. In certain cases, Finland have been known for their superior DM skills by their 6v6 players, like Zappis, Rake and Muffinz. However, Highlander players mainly from the Premiership team, Colony, fit into the Finnish roster very well; players like Yonus and Nappr compliment the 6v6 players very well. The combo on Finland between Kurates and Muffinz has performed very, very well throughout, and will hopefully continue into the knockout stages. If they were to slip up so soon on, it would be at this stage; from what I've seen, Finland are one of the more active teams when it comes to scrimming, meaning they should come prepared against Russia come Sunday. However, you can never predict how your enemy would play unless you were extremely dedicated scrim partners. This could possibly lead to some overthinking and possible complacency, meaning less preparation and such. However, I don't see this happening with Finland; they've had their head in the game since the first match, and I don't see that concentration slip so soon on. Expect the Finns to put up an amazing performance regardless of their results; their players and co-ordination are some of the best in the Nations Cup this time around.
#2 Seed: Canada
Unfortunately for Canada, they were always going to be two setbacks for them: time differences, and ping differences. As far as I can tell, they've used a regular ETF2L server to play their matches on to make them fair. Fortunately for the Canadians, they've managed to progress with little of these issues cropping up in-game. Granted, you see players like Tri and Alfa, who are both from ESEA-Invite, and the well-known Pulse, and you think, "damn, this team is good." And Canada most certainly are. What seems to be a lesser mashup of a team like the USA, the Canadians still had a solid run in the group stages, although a hiccup against Finland meant they dropped 6 points in the middle of the group stages. As you would expect, hopefully, the Canadians should've shrugged it off and pressed on. A commanding win against Belgium on the last week must've given them momentum to surge through into the knockout stages hyped, prepared and ready. Bringing in the best of the best from all corners of Canadian TF2, Canada seem to be looking good. Although a few mishaps, like Mangachu going 13:21 against the Belgians could cost them on some maps; if it were a Payload map, for instance, there could have been even more points taken off. Happily, it was a 6-0 victory. Playing Poland in the last 16 may be tougher than first thought; the Polish look very confident and strong going into their first playoff match in two Nations Cups, and the outcomes could differ from person to person; on paper, Canada look slightly stronger due to their 6v6 talents, but the Poles have been playing for longer as a community, ie Max-Play. Expect it to be good, and never a dull moment, even in setup time.
Group E
#1 Seed: Sweden (Won 6, Drawn 0, Lost 0: Points 18)
#2 Seed: Latvia (Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 3: Points 9)
#1 Seed: Sweden
Sweden were always going to go through. It was a dead cert, 100% fact that Sweden would progress with little to no trouble; combing Infused and Broder 6v6 players like Ryb, .2nuts and Zebbosai gives Sweden a whole lot to work with due to their outstanding gamesense and DM they showed this season in 6v6. A few people may have questioned how the Swedish roster looked, due to only one Highlander "player" being on it. ZyZo was always known for his Engineer plays with the old Premiership team, May Contain Nuts. However, with the ever-dangerous TviQ sniping and Jukebox on Spy, the Swedish were always quick to finish matches; whether it was for 6v6 PCWs, I do not know. There was always an element of slightly higher DM, due to the astounding level of 6v6 Premiership players on Sweden. In particular, Ryb has always had an extremely high damage output and frag power for the Swedes throughout. For their matchup in the last 16, there should be no trouble for Sweden. They have the talent to potentially go all the way to be crowned champions, but they shouldn't throw any sort of practice aside and disregard it; practice is what is needed in this Nations Cup - due to some nations not practicing at all, that could have cost their chances of qualifying. However, Sweden should be looking comfortable until the last few matches. That is, if they get there. And they should with their talents and efforts put into the game, and the Nations Cup itself.
#2 Seed: Latvia
After a tense tiebreaker match, Latvia eventually managed to qualify into the last 16 for the second time in a row. A new addition to the team, Mirelin, the Medic of Premiership 6v6 team, Broder, gives them a huge advantage in calling power and amazing dodges and jukes. The Latvians have had some really great games, then a few off ones. Whether it was communication or lack of DM that affected them, I do not know, sadly. Having players like Slonjara, boasting some of the best head-clicking in this Nations Cup so far, and Dr. Kaka6ka, who is arguably one of the best Engineers in Europe at the moment. There's no denying Latvia have potential to get past some of the top teams. But it depends on how they perform. With Smadd and Atomic- leading the charge as Heavy and Demoman respectively, they have always had solid games, with an extremely high amount of frags, and insane damage outputs at times. Latvia play England in what could be a very close match. If the Latvians come in prepared and ready to fight, the game could be a lot closer than most people think; if Latvia come onto the stage bright, hot and ready, there could be a lot of contest to get through, it could end up going the way of the Latvians. In particular, a certain Daerados who has always been on fire throughout the Latvians' matches, could make or break their games. If he gets the stabs when needed, the Latvians could potentially knock out one of the favourites in the last 16. And what a shock that would be, to some people.
Group F
#1 Seed: England (Won 5, Drawn 1, Lost 0: Points 17)
#2 Seed: Spain (Won 4, Drawn 1, Lost 1: Points 13)
#1 Seed: England
Ah, England. Always stereotyped for their love of tea and how they say some words in a particular accent. But does it really matter when it comes to TF2? No. It matters about the talent, and how the team can work together to win. Fortunately, England have both of those qualities nailed. In particular, with some great work against Bulgaria on Gravelpit led them to just over a 2 minute cap time for 3 points. One particular person, Shintaz, has had an exceptional Nations Cup, getting a heavy number of frags and providing some great distractions for enemy teams. In the main combo, Kaidus and Saaaad Pandaaaa, both extremely experienced players in Highlander, and Kaidus in 6v6 moreso, provide what is needed sufficiently, and 10x over what they needed. Solid performances all round for England, by player and communication between the players, can make them go far. Possibly even into the final, if I dare say so myself. Some beautiful plays out of teamwork and coordination make England a little more unique, due to the fact of their communication. It also helps some of the players were on the oh-so dominant team of SNSD for several seasons of Highlander, meaning they may have possibly played against some of the players on other nations' teams. I'd expect England to go in and out with a bang, with tense games, great plays and marvellous entertainment, for you, the viewer, and for themselves. Their comms sound relaxed, but engaged and serious. Which is how comms should be, no? No chaotic calls or annoying accusations which might plague some teams.
#2 Seed: Spain
Spanish people. Always known for their fiery passion and hot-blooded. And it transfers into their Highlander team. With a few players coming from the Division 2 team, Splendid-Gaming, they have some experience when playing together for a few seasons. Spike and TausoN have performed excellently for Spain throughout their campaign so far, and there's no sign of slowing down for them, and the team itself. Pairing ex-Premiership players HarryHook and Pescanova on the flanks as Scout and Soldier give Spain an amazing pair of very good players roaming around behind, or even in front. The Spanish managed to get very well-earned victories over Belarus and Bulgaria in quick successions in both matches. Their players have always been known throughout the seasons of ETF2L. The majority of players on Spain come from the newly-formed Premiership team, 27. Pl0 has always had solid games throughout, even offclassing as Heavy once against Belarus in Week 3. Going into their playoff match against Sweden, it'll be tough for the Spaniards to overcome such a behemoth in the Highlander scene. Sadly I haven't seen much of Spain and their scrims, but I don't even know if they scrim much. Maybe they're just doing this for fun or they want to chill and relax in this Nations Cup. An honest opinion is that this is one team that's going to be knocked out. Spain may have the players, teamwork and communication, but the Swedes just outclass them in every way, 100% of the time. It'll be very unlikely that the Spanish will go through any further, but we will have to wait and see.
Group G
#1 Seed: Netherlands (Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 1: Points 15)
#2 Seed: Italy (Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 3: Points 9)
#1 Seed: Netherlands
After a drop of 3 points to Estonia back in Week 2, Netherlands have stepped up their game by not dropping any more points, leaving them with 15 out of a possible 18 points. Topping the group, they go into the knockout stages with a bit more breathing space, due to them playing the second seed of Group H. All of the Dutch players have had high-level experience in 6v6 and Highlander, spanning across several seasons. For example, Exfane played for FakkelBrigade back in Season 9's Premiership division. Quell and Demsii have also been playing for the newcomer Premiership team in Highlander, Sookie Doin' Work. The Dutch have a strong core of players in their Heavy and Demoman plays, but also support great pick classes like Lucky Luke and Zeigon, who both have had great games and even better games throughout this Nations Cup. However, some... drama, shall we say, occurred with an ex-teammate, meaning there still could be some potential disagreements. However, these arguments should've been ironed out by now, and the Netherlands can concentrate on their matches. Like Finland, the Dutch scrim frequently, meaning they've always been prepared for matches regardless. Although some offclassing was used in some scrims, it didn't particularly matter; the Dutch always came out strong. With an unscheduled time against their opponents, Denmark, we won't know when an arguable two underrated nations play against each other. It'll be good, with a tight game as well as scintillating entertainment.
#2 Seed: Italy
After a horrid first Highlander Nations Cup, Italy have bounced back into a content playoff spot. Little to no change in the main combo of userid_ivan and F0rest mean there was always going to be a commanding role within the Italian team. Bringing in high-level 6v6 players also helped Italy: pickups like Rock, Carnifex and Raine helped the Italians a lot throughout their group campaign; Carnifex in particular has done a lot of work by himself, and scored highly on Week 1 when playing Badwater. Italy are a team that, on paper and in theory, look like one of the weakest teams in the knockout stages. However, the majority of the players have played together for a long time, in the team GFM, meaning they understand and have a great rapport with each other. An honest guess would be that the Italians look in shape at the moment. However, that could all end within one match. They play the defending champions, Germany, meaning they have a likely uphill battle on their hands. With dedicated practice, tough regiments and extreme commitment, the Italians could potentially cause a shock and knock the defending champions out in the last 16. Sadly, whilst it's all up in the air at the moment, I couldn't see any sort of comeback fight. The Italians, whilst good, consistent and solid, don't look in near enough shape compared to Germany; after losing to Netherlands 6-0 and drawing with the now-disgraced Ukraine, their results look quite shabby in their position. Fortunately, I see no doubt that they would play like they did in the group stages. Italy are a solid team, but they have to blossom within matches, with hot-blooded passion, like a football match. Italians are good at football, right? Anyway, it'll look unlikely, but I love rooting for the underdog. If they do get knocked out, they do win an award for 1st: the best tag. I mean, "Pizza!" is just the best tag.
Group H
#1 Seed: Germany (Won 5, Drawn 0, Lost 1: Points 15)
#2 Seed: Denmark (Won 4, Drawn 0, Lost 2: Points 12)
#1 Seed: Germany
The reigning champions were looking like their dominant selves for a long time. However, a small slip-up against Denmark caused them to drop 3 points, meaning they could look... touchable, for once? Bringing in new talent from the Highlander scene, like Quintosh, Solid, and even the captain, Anoobis, the Germans bought in a lot more variety to use. 6v6 behemoths like Brego still linger within their team, and bring a lot to the table. However, with the Germans dropping points so soon in the competition, it makes me think: do they still have what it takes to still be crowned champions? Germany, with no question, are still one of the best teams. Although, maybe not the best. Whilst great performances all around for their players, as a team, it could fall. A possible cause of different playstyles from the 6v6 and Highlander contingents could cause a little slice of disagreement, but this is still very unlikely. Having the best Scout duo in Europe, BasH and Schocky, means that Germany have amazing Scouts, but also very good offclasses if needed be to be called in. The main Sniper for Germany, Der_Milchmann, has always been known in the Highlander scene, and has done great work for his country in his first Nations Cup. The momentum may have come to a slight halt or decrease in speed for Germany due to their extremely close loss, but they'll pick it up in no time; great plays all around and good chemistry between the combo, flanks and pick classes, means co-ordinated pushes, meaning quick matches, meaning hopeful victory. The Germans had a reason to win last Nations Cup: they proved they could win by putting in supreme amounts of effort as well as providing great players. Still going strong, Germany have every pixel and hat to believe they can still win for the second time in a row. Expect them to do well and provide you amazing entertainment on stream or on the SourceTV.
#2 Seed: Denmark
The last nation I write about seems to be one of the most interesting. Denmark were a new country coming into the Nations Cup, and have taken it by storm. Although drawing 3-3 with Israel may not be the best thing, taking 3 points off of the winners, Germany, certainly is. With one of the best multiclassers in the game, F2, along with Premiership players like Quad, complimented by Highlander players like Tutorial, the Danish look set to do well. A large majority of the players on the roster of Denmark have played in the team, SdX-Gaming Red this season in Division 2, meaning the rapport and chemistry is still bound between most of the players. Having veterans of TF2 also helps with any new tactics or strategies the Danish may possibly want to utilise in upcoming matches. As they are a new nation to the Highlander Nations Cup, they're certainly the best new team: with amazing players, great chemistry, and the best catchphrase, "DANMARK VINDER!", Denmark are a great nation to watch. Bringing a new team to the table brings unique opportunities, as the opposing team may have to potentially learn the Danish's playstyle if they haven't played them yet. This means that we could have some amazing and really close games on our hands. And we all love those types of games. A personal thing from me is that I'd love to see Denmark get far. Seeing their unlocked potential within the group stages makes me want to see how far they can push themselves, as players and as a nation, to see how far they can go. It's looking like that could happen, too. If they continue to play like they do, picture a possible semi-final with Denmark. Maybe, maybe even a final with the Danish. Who knows what could happen? This is TF2, with all the surprises and shocks just around the corner!
That's it for today, ladies and gentlemen. Tune in tomorrow for an interview with one of Poland's players. See you then,
~TJB
