Throwdown Esports’ OCE Open Series Week 2 Preview & Predictions

We’re about to enter another two days of competition in Throwdown Esports’ OCE Open Series for Rocket League, with teams vying for the top six positions in order to get into next weekend’s elimination gauntlet. Two teams will be knocked out this week, meaning every result counts.

As Throwdown haven’t released the schedule for matches happening over the weekend, I’ll instead go through each team and assess where I think they need to improve, players to look out for, and predictions when the weekend’s competition is all said and done.

As a quick refresher, here are the current league standings prior to League Play Day 3 & 4:

We Win When We Can (now Legacy Esports)
Cyrix, Delusion, Siki and substitute Helio have had quite the week! After officially signing on as Legacy Esports’ 2018 Rocket League side, the former independent team are looking to continue a run at the OCE Open Series’ top placements.

Key to accomplishing this will no doubt lie with consistent team rotation, positive attacking plays, and good communication, particularly between Cyrix and Siki, who carved open sides with ease over League Play Days 1 & 2. With four sets already played and three to go, Legacy should feel confident in nabbing at least a top four finish.

Predicted Finish: 2nd

Dark Sided
After a fantastic Day 1 of League Play, Dark Sided let themselves down by conceding two games and the series to Simple Physics – a side who had, at the time, only won one game in three series.

Dark Sided showcased excellent positioning and a knack for getting to the loose ball before the other team could hit it, and that will be key to their success again this weekend. With games against Chiefs, Retirement Home, Legacy, and Love Decks, they’re certainly going to be in for a tough couple of days. Play like they did on Day 1, though, and they should do really well.

Predicted Finish: 1st

Retirement Home
Retirement Home’s Daze, Ellusive, and Kida have some work to do to really make their way up towards the upper echelon of the table, and they’re going to be pitted against some of the best teams in Oceania this weekend. With games against JAM Gaming, Tainted Minds, and Dark Sided, they’re going to have to be on their game from the beginning.

That said, I think they have the skills required to really make a run for the top four, so I’m excited to see how they go this weekend against some of the region’s best — it’ll be a good barometer to see where they sit.

Predicted Finish: 6th

Tainted Minds
After four games, Tainted Minds find themselves at 6-6 — a 50% win record. They need to up their game this weekend if they want to make the finals and do a job there, and I’m certain they can do it. CJCJ and KaMii really pushed teams in particular, with Julz picking up some important blocks and saves throughout League Play Days 1 & 2. They were unlucky in a few matches, and with games against Love Decks, Retirement Home, and Legacy, they are definitely in for a chance to cement their spot and make their way into the finals series in a week’s time.

Predicted Finish: 5th

JAM Gaming
JAM had a bad start to the OCE Open Series, being swept 3-0 to Dark Sided. However, in Day 2 they started to play some fantastic Rocket League, taking out both Tainted Minds and Legacy. They’ll need to keep up the pressure if they want to make their way up the rankings, and that’ll be down to the team’s constant attacking pressure and excellent counter-attacking work.

I’m keen to see how JAM go against Chiefs in particular, and it all should culminate in some really interesting match ups.

Predicted Finish: 3rd

Chiefs ESC
Who’d have thought that at the end of Days 1 & 2 of League Play Chiefs would just be in a position to make the Open Series finals? They struggled against Love Decks and Tainted Minds, only just pulling through with a series win against Retirement Home so far. They had a lot of shots over the first two days of league play, but their accuracy was unusually poor, culminating in a lot of big chances squandered. They’ve had a week to practice now, so here’s hoping they can really pull together and produce some results.

That said, they’ve still got to take on Dark Sided, Legacy, JAM, and Simple Physics, and if the first weekend of competition is anything to go by, it’s clear that there’s no pushovers in this tournament. They’re going to have to be at their very best in order to push for a better position at the end of the League Play days.

Predicted Finish: 4th

Simple Physics
Simple Physics started out really poorly against almost all of the teams they’ve played, though they’re becoming a team that are in it for the long-run, producing results after a few games rather than having an instant impact. Coming off of a disappointing loss to Retirement Home in Day 2, the team carved Dark Sided apart to take a vital series win and important points away from one of the competition’s biggest teams.

They’ll need to start fast if they’re to pick up any points from their remaining matches, though, coming up against Chiefs, JAM Gaming, and Love Decks.

Predicted Finish: 7th

Love Decks
After a promising start to the OCE Series, beating competition favourites Chiefs 2-1, Love Decks have been disappointing in every other match they’ve played. Currently at the bottom of the ladder with just 2 matches won out of nine, they need to start fast and really take it to the other teams they’re facing this weekend. A team with nothing to lose is an incredibly dangerous side, and that’s how I feel Love Decks will be this weekend — watch out for them. Though it may be too little too late, unfortunately.

Predicted Finish: 8th

At the end of the weekend, here’s how I think the ladder will look:

Matches will kick off from 12pm AEDT on Saturday and Sunday, running for around four hours each day. With a lot to play for, including a share of the $15,000 AUD prize pool, this weekend’s action should be fantastic.