Heretics join middle-of-pack scrum at CDL Stage 2 Major qualifying

The Miami Heretics climbed into a five-way tie for fourth place in qualifying for the Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major, sweeping G2 Minnesota 3-0 on Friday as Week 4 got underway.

The result leaves the Heretics and G2 with 3-3 records, level with the Riyadh Falcons, the Toronto KOI and the Carolina Royal Ravens.

In the day's other matches, the Vancouver Surge topped Cloud9 New York 3-1, and FaZe Vegas rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Thieves.

The 12 Call of Duty League teams are playing a full qualifying round robin to determine seeding for the second major of the season, to be held March 27-29 in Marston Green, England, as part of the DreamHack Birmingham event.

The top six teams in qualifying head straight into the Stage 2 Major playoffs, while the teams in seventh through 10th place will compete in a play-in round.

The Stage 2 Major champion will receive $150,000 and 100 Call of Duty League points, while the runner-up will get $90,000 and 75 CDL points.

On Friday, Miami downed Minnesota 250-224 on Scar Hardpoint, 6-5 on Raid Search and Destroy and 6-3 on Scar Overload.

Spain's Diego "SupeR" Escudero paced the Heretics with 75 kills and a plus-27 kill-death differential. The United States' Justice "Estreal" McMillan topped G2 with 69 kills and a plus-9 K-D differential.

Vancouver jumped on top with a 250-203 win on Scar Hardpoint and a 6-1 rout on Den Search and Destroy. Cloud9 took Scar Overload before the Surge sealed the series with a 250-122 decision on Den Hardpoint.

The United States' Thomas "TJHaLy" Haly led the Surge with 92 kills and a plus-22 K-D differential. Puerto Rico's Jonathan "Nejra" Pabo'n wound up with 90 kills and a plus-19 K-D differential for Cloud9.

Vegas opened with a 250-243 triumph on Den Hardpoint before Los Angeles captured Den Search and Destroy 6-4 and Scar Overload 6-3. FaZe bounced back to take Blackheart Hardpoint 250-164 and Scar Search and Destroy 6-1.

The United States' Chris "Simp" Lehr powered Vegas with 97 kills and a plus-7 K-D differential. Another U.S. player, Jeremiah "Nium" Harrison, topped the Thieves with 97 kills and a plus-15 K-D differential.

The remaining Week 4 matches:

Saturday

--Paris Gentle Mates vs. G2 Minnesota

--OpTic Texas vs. FaZe Vegas

--Toronto KOI vs. Riyadh Falcons

--Cloud9 New York vs. Boston Breach

Sunday

--Miami Heretics vs. Los Angeles Thieves

--Toronto KOI vs. Boston Breach

--OpTic Texas vs. Carolina Royal Ravens

--Vancouver Surge vs. Paris Gentle Mates

Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major qualifying standings (match record, map differential)

1. OpTic Texas, 6-0, +14

2. Los Angeles Thieves, 4-2, +7

3. Paris Gentle Mates, 3-2, +2

T4. Miami Heretics, 3-3, +2

T4. Riyadh Falcons, 3-3, +2

T4. Toronto KOI, 3-3, +1

T4. Carolina Royal Ravens, 3-3, -1

T4. G2 Minnesota, 3-3, -2

9. FaZe Vegas, 3-4, -1

T10. Boston Breach, 2-4, -5

T10. Vancouver Surge, 2-4, -7

12. Cloud9 New York, 1-5, -12

--Field Level Media