Graphics by Nick Lupo
Co-written by Brad Dick

The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of Chicago Chimera or its parent companies.

Welcome one and all to the first edition of “Port’s Preds,” where I, Jon “Portland” Higginbotham, will bring you up to date predictions of all the latest CGS matches. Some of you will laugh, others may cry due to the cold hard truth I am prepared to unleash, while a good number of you may say things like: “Where did Chimera get this guy?” “You’re predictions are horrid, go die.” “What’s with his enormously long last name, LOL?” “Wow, despite his huge last name, he’s remarkably very handsome. So handsome in fact, I think I will comment on every one of his upcoming articles and I’ll get as many people as I can to come to the chimera site and read them.” A man can only dream…

Folks, the playoffs are nearing closer by the minute, and as you may not know, only the top four teams get to go to the playoffs. The current standings are posted below, and as you can see it’s still a tight race between, the San Francisco Optx, the Chicago Chimera, and the Carolina Core. These franchises still have three matches left to determine who makes the cut and who falls painfully short. For the most part, the Dallas Venom and 3D.NY have secured a playoff spot, just as LA Complexity has secured a seat on the bench. That’s not to say LA is out completely. They still pose a threat to San Francisco and Carolina’s playoff chances, that’s something to keep in mind.

http://www.thecgs.com/index.php?s=stats2008&r=1&d=standings

Furthermore I have a guest contributor with me, (I know what your thinking, wow another Chimera staffer to give another biased opinion. I hate to disappoint, but I can assure you that we’re trying to be as unbiased as possible -- Brian Flander smells – see that? That’s pure off the wall, but more importantly, unbiased commentary.) Chimera’s AGM Brad Dick! I’ll give my prediction first and Brad will follow with his. Without further adieu, let’s get to the predictions, enjoy!

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Counter-Strike Source

Portland: This is a hard match to predict, and I hope I don’t get yelled at by da_bears for not fully reviewing the teams enough. Thankfully though, I am not a fanboy of myself or the team I work for, so I should be in the clear of any potential flaming. Stevenson has been playing very well for Chimera, that’s undisputable. To say he carries the team however is a bit of a stretch. I think at times the other players have their moments, but sadly have been inconsistent. It will be a close match but in the end I have to give this to 3D.

BRAD DICK: Well 3D.NY has been on a roll, they are playing great. Chimera's inconsistency worries me; the key in the overall match-up is the CS:S division. I think Chimera is due for a win though.

Portland: 3D.NY > Chicago Chimera [10-8]
Brad Dick: Chicago Chimera > 3D.NY [11-7]

FIFA 08

Portland: This is another toughie, WiZaKoR and Eafra are two exceptional FIFA players and both times these titans of virtual soccer have met, the outcome has only been my one point. On one hand there’s Eafra; a rookie of the year favorite who’s sitting at the top of the ladder with a 7-2 record. On the other hand there’s WiZaKoR who put one of those L’s in Eafra’s lost column. I have no choice but to put Eafra as the winner for the following reasons: 1. Eafra has lost the last time he has faced WiZaKoR, so he’ll be gunning for a win this time which in turn should solidify his status as the top FIFA player in NA.
2. Chimera is in a pinch, they need to win their next two matches to ensure a playoff spot. Knowing this, Eafra no doubt feels the pressure from his team to pull out a win. 3. Lastly, even if 3D loses the rest of their matches they are still in the playoffs and likely still in 1st place. I would venture to say there isn’t as much motivation for WiZaKoR as there is for Eafra.

I got the chance to sit down with Chimera’s FIFA player, Yfran "eafra" Garcia to get his impression about the upcoming match,

“I have definitely been training hard for this match; wizakor is one of my hardest competitors in the entire NA so it won’t be easy. The last match between us, I knew that match was going into penalties. We both play extremely similar, so it's hard to find any gaps in both of our defenses. Tomorrow night, someone will win in regulation… I think we both have adjusted so I don’t think the match will be decided by penalty kicks.”

BRAD DICK: This is the match of the night, both of these players are probably number 1 and number 2. They have beaten each other one time a piece. Wizakor was the last to beat Eafra, so I think it is Eafra's turn once again.

Portland: Chicago Chimera > 3D.NY [1-0]
Brad Dick: Chicago Chimera > 3D.NY [2-1]