Thieves move to 3-0 in CDL Stage 2 Major qualifying

The Los Angeles Thieves opened Week 2 of qualifying for the Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major on Friday with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto KOI, improving to 3-0 to sit alone atop the standings.

Also on Friday, FaZe Vegas improved to 2-1 and the Riyadh Falcons earned their first victory to improve to 1-2.

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, Los Angeles prevailed 250-221 on Scar Hardpoint and 6-5 on Colossus Search & Destroy before Toronto got on the board 4-1 on Den Overload. The Thieves avoided a decisive fifth map with a 250-159 victory on Colossus Hardpoint.

Thomas "Scrappy" Ernst of the United States led the way for the Thieves, posting 95 kills and a plus-8 kill-death differential. For Toronto, Toobias "CleanX" Jonsson of Denmark posted 90 kills and an even K-D differential.

Vegas breezed to a 3-0 sweep of the winless Vancouver Surge, notching a 250-189 victory on Colossus Hardpoint and following it up with a 6-4 win on Den Search & Destroy and a 3-1 victory on Den Overload.

Zachary "Drazah" Jordan of the United States paced Vegas in the victory, collecting a match-high 67 kills with a plus-12 K-D differential. Noah "Lunarz" Whillock of the United States was the lone Vancouver player with a positive K-D differential, posting 63 kills and 59 deaths.

In their 3-1 win over Cloud9 New York, the Falcons opened with a 250-210 victory on Colossus Hardpoint, but New York responded with a 6-3 triumph on Scar Search & Destroy. The Falcons put the match away with a 7-2 win on Scar Overload and a 250-83 rout on Den Hardpoint.

For the Falcons, Matthew "KiSMET" Tinsley of the United States notched the most kills at 92, but teammate and countryman McArthur "Cellium" Jovel posted the best K-D differential at plus-27 with 89 kills and 62 deaths. New York was led by Jacob "Hide" Bustillos of Mexico, who collected 78 kills and 90 deaths. No New York player finished with a positive K-D differential.

The remaining Week 2 matches:

Saturday

--Toronto KOI vs. G2 Minnesota

--Los Angeles Thieves vs. Boston Breach

--Paris Gentle Mates vs. Carolina Royal Ravens

--OpTic Texas vs. Miami Heretics

Sunday

--Riyadh Falcons vs. Carolina Royal Ravens

--Vancouver Surge vs. Boston Breach

--OpTic Texas vs. Cloud9 New York

--G2 Minnesota vs. FaZe Vegas

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

1. Los Angeles Thieves, 3-0, +7

T2. OpTic Texas, 2-0, +4

T2. Paris Gentle Mates, 2-0, +4

4. FaZe Vegas, 2-1, +3

5. G2 Minnesota, 1-1, +2

6. Miami Heretics, 1-1, +1

7. Carolina Royal Ravens, 1-1, even

8. Boston Breach, 1-1, -1

9. Riyadh Falcons, 1-2, -2

T10. Cloud9 New York, 0-2, -5

T10. Vancouver Surge, 0-2, -5

12. Toronto KOI, 0-3, -8

--Field Level Media