The winner of the Western Clash, barring a major upset, will be Misfits.
So, here are some predictions for the matches:
Prediction 1: ANZ and LA will both go 0-2 in both of their matches. I would like to be surprised by Nomia or by Infamous, but it's not going to happen. No matter what, there just isn't enough competition in the Western minor regions for them to be prepared. Poor Nomia has the worst draw and might turn in nothing but sub 15 minute games.
Prediction 2: EU teams will take all three top spots. Not only are Misfits, FNATIC, and Dignitas better than all of the NA teams, but Playing Ducks could win this if they were the only EU team, and they are currently fifth in the region. NA has very little hope.
Prediction 3: We will see two matches of Misfits vs. FNATIC. Misfits will have to beat FNATIC twice to win this in straight sets. This will be the continuation of their epic series from earlier in the season and you would be crazy to miss a minute.
Now, I have been down on NA a lot recently. I called the bottom three teams in NA the "Oh Somebody Kill Me Please" division, and I'm not taking any of that back. Where as EU matches have all been solid contests with small mistakes, the pile of major NA misplays keeps growing. Check my clip collection on my Twitter feed when NA is playing, and you'll see what I mean. That said, I am cheering for NA. Yes, Misfits is my favorite team, other than Superstars (who are obviously not here), but we need NA to be strong and to have a good showing. So, here's four reasons why NA can win, but probably won't:
Cauthonluck: If Tempo Storm is going to prevail in any match, they are going to need Cauthon to play out of his mind. In past LANs, as part of Cognative, Brain Power, and Murloc Geniuses, Cauthon has carried his team with sound positioning and lethal accuracy. Tempo needs an A+ game, each and every map from Cauthon, or they are dead.
Michael Udall: If adrd is the mad genius of EU, then Udall is NA's Captain Ahab: a charismatic, single-minded, focused leader chasing the White Whale. Spoiler, that chase doesn't end well for Ahab, and Udall will have to make better decisions in all phases of Gale Force eSport's games. He needs mistake free drafts and perfect, near psychic shot-calling, of which he is capable, but it's almost impossible to do it 100% of the time.
Glaurung: Hands down, in all phases of the game, Glau has become the best player in all of NA (*mic drop* Fight me!). His reputation for being cocky and brash is not that well deserved, and there is no one harder working and more self-critical than Glau. This kid has punched above his weight class, leading a rag-tag team that wasn't supposed to be here into the Western Clash and contention for the NA crown. Expect to be surprised.
This is the first time we will have competitive HotS on the Lucio patch: New support, major reworks, and Murky means we have no idea what the competitive meta looks like and what has developed. Based on what we saw in the first five weeks of league play, EU had a better grasp of the meta and played much cleaner games. The scrim metas that have developed and the tournament meta that will develop is unknown, and there is no way to know who really has the advantage until the first two rounds are in. Yes, you should expect EU to win, but this patch might favor NA in ways we cannot predict.
Can an NA team win the Western Clash? Yes.
Which NA team has the best chance? Team 8.
Will an NA team win the Western Clash? No. Misfits will win.
Will an NA team finish in the top three? It would take a miracle.
NA, prove me wrong. I am so desperately wanting you to prove me wrong and show that this region has strength. We need a good showing, not just for the region, but for the health of the game. Make no mistake, EU is coming for you. I have one word for all of NA:
Win.
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