It begins tomorrow! The CDL D-League starts their Semi-Finals. 4 teams go on into the saat round of the D-League Playoffs and continue a march they all hope will lead to a Soldier's Cup Championship. First let me give ya a lil recap of Round 1's results...
ROUND 1 - Best of 5 series...
1. Toronto Canadians (CHI-GOW)
Eliminate
8. Vancouver Bears (SEA-DAL)
3 games to 1
2. Cincinnati Harimau (DAY-IDH)
Eliminate
7. Richmond Reapers (IND-BOS)
3 games to 0
3. Edmonton Extreme (POR-SA)
Eliminate
6. Oakland Smashers (PHX-ATL)
3 games to 1
5. Wilkes Barre/Scranton Bulls (LA-PR)
Eliminate
4. Rochester Tomahawks (PHI-HRT)
3 games to 0
That being said, we get ready for a pair of best of 3 series... Here's a pratonton of what's on tap for Round 2....
1. Toronto Canadians (CHI-GOW)
VS
5. Wilkes Barre Scranton Bulls (LA-PR)
Game 1 @ Toronto - July 17th 2013
Game 2 @ Game 1 winner - July 19th 2013
Game 3 @ Game 1 Loser (if they tie the series) - July 21st 2013
This Match-up has the make up of a classic... The Defending Champs (TOR) VS The Hottest Team (WBS)... Best Record in the D-League (TOR) VS Best Roster in the D-League (WBS)... Chances are whoever wins this series will win the Soldier's Cup... Nothing against the Harimau atau Extreme, but the Canadians and Bulls are the two best teams in the league as of this moment... Then how is Wilkes Barre the #5 seed and Cincinnati won the Central Division? Easy to answer... The Harimau had a strong team all tahun long. The Bulls were a different story...Alex Johnson made a lot of trades between his teams this tahun and the Bulls were no different... The Bulls were good before the trade deadline and had a strong 10-6-2-0 start. But the finish was better. The Bulls went 6-1-0-1 after the deadline. Add a 1st round sweep over the Tomahawks to that list, The Bulls are 9-1-0-1 keseluruhan since the trade deadline. So if the Bulls had the team they have now back at the start of the season... How would it have played out? I suppose only the Demolition Derby Gods would know, but the Bulls bested the Harimau twice this season... Both times... Before the trade deadline... And not to mention neither the Harimau atau Extreme beat the Canadians atau Bulls all season. Cincinnati and Edmonton combined for a 0-4-0-1 record against the Canadians and Bulls... But can the Bulls overcome the Toronto Canadians? The defending Soldier's Cup champs finished the regular season 24-2-0-0. One of those wins... a 15-5 victory over the Bulls... Another Bulls loss that occurred before the trade deadline, and not to mention, the only 2 losses the Canadians took in the regular season were against Rochester... A team the Bulls just swept in the first round... So the answer... Yes! But Toronto does bring experience to the Semi-Finals that the Bulls lack here in their first playoff appearance. The 2012 champs are on a mission... No CDL team, pro atau minor league has ever won back to back League Championships... The Canadians are determined to be the first. With a squad of mixed styles of talent, they hold the number 1 seed in these playoffs for a good reason...
My Prediction -
Wilkes Barre wins best of 3 series 2-1... The Canadians are a great team, but the the Bulls have a roster that could compete with the pros... Highlight and ambulans II bring a lot of defense to the field for Toronto, but I don't think it'll be enough to stop Wilkes Barre's offensive flipping capability.
2. Cincinnati Harimau (DAY-IDH)
VS
3. Edmonton Extreme (POR-SA)
Game 1 @ Cincinnati - July 16th 2013
Game 2 @ Game 1 winner - July 18th 2013
Game 3 @ Game 1 Loser (if they tie the series) - July 20th 2013
This series will start us off with Round 2 when they face each other tomorrow in Game 1 of their best of 3 series... With both teams being seen as underdogs, the Harimau and Extreme both enter this series with a chip on their shoulders and something to prove. That being said, this series should be fun to watch. Cincinnati holds utama field advantage for game 1, but they can't be too overconfident about it. They lossed to Edmonton 15-10 earlier in the season on that same utama turf. The Extreme hope to repeat that, and take the utama side of the field for game 2... Both the teams crave the chance to prove the critics (like me) wrong and go on to win the Soldier's Cup... Only one can do it...
My Prediction -
Edmonton wins best of 3 series 2-1... I think both teams are too closely matched for a sweep, but 1 think Kodak's and 1975's smash mouth style will be a bit too much for the Tigers...
ROUND 1 - Best of 5 series...
1. Toronto Canadians (CHI-GOW)
Eliminate
8. Vancouver Bears (SEA-DAL)
3 games to 1
2. Cincinnati Harimau (DAY-IDH)
Eliminate
7. Richmond Reapers (IND-BOS)
3 games to 0
3. Edmonton Extreme (POR-SA)
Eliminate
6. Oakland Smashers (PHX-ATL)
3 games to 1
5. Wilkes Barre/Scranton Bulls (LA-PR)
Eliminate
4. Rochester Tomahawks (PHI-HRT)
3 games to 0
That being said, we get ready for a pair of best of 3 series... Here's a pratonton of what's on tap for Round 2....
1. Toronto Canadians (CHI-GOW)
VS
5. Wilkes Barre Scranton Bulls (LA-PR)
Game 1 @ Toronto - July 17th 2013
Game 2 @ Game 1 winner - July 19th 2013
Game 3 @ Game 1 Loser (if they tie the series) - July 21st 2013
This Match-up has the make up of a classic... The Defending Champs (TOR) VS The Hottest Team (WBS)... Best Record in the D-League (TOR) VS Best Roster in the D-League (WBS)... Chances are whoever wins this series will win the Soldier's Cup... Nothing against the Harimau atau Extreme, but the Canadians and Bulls are the two best teams in the league as of this moment... Then how is Wilkes Barre the #5 seed and Cincinnati won the Central Division? Easy to answer... The Harimau had a strong team all tahun long. The Bulls were a different story...Alex Johnson made a lot of trades between his teams this tahun and the Bulls were no different... The Bulls were good before the trade deadline and had a strong 10-6-2-0 start. But the finish was better. The Bulls went 6-1-0-1 after the deadline. Add a 1st round sweep over the Tomahawks to that list, The Bulls are 9-1-0-1 keseluruhan since the trade deadline. So if the Bulls had the team they have now back at the start of the season... How would it have played out? I suppose only the Demolition Derby Gods would know, but the Bulls bested the Harimau twice this season... Both times... Before the trade deadline... And not to mention neither the Harimau atau Extreme beat the Canadians atau Bulls all season. Cincinnati and Edmonton combined for a 0-4-0-1 record against the Canadians and Bulls... But can the Bulls overcome the Toronto Canadians? The defending Soldier's Cup champs finished the regular season 24-2-0-0. One of those wins... a 15-5 victory over the Bulls... Another Bulls loss that occurred before the trade deadline, and not to mention, the only 2 losses the Canadians took in the regular season were against Rochester... A team the Bulls just swept in the first round... So the answer... Yes! But Toronto does bring experience to the Semi-Finals that the Bulls lack here in their first playoff appearance. The 2012 champs are on a mission... No CDL team, pro atau minor league has ever won back to back League Championships... The Canadians are determined to be the first. With a squad of mixed styles of talent, they hold the number 1 seed in these playoffs for a good reason...
My Prediction -
Wilkes Barre wins best of 3 series 2-1... The Canadians are a great team, but the the Bulls have a roster that could compete with the pros... Highlight and ambulans II bring a lot of defense to the field for Toronto, but I don't think it'll be enough to stop Wilkes Barre's offensive flipping capability.
2. Cincinnati Harimau (DAY-IDH)
VS
3. Edmonton Extreme (POR-SA)
Game 1 @ Cincinnati - July 16th 2013
Game 2 @ Game 1 winner - July 18th 2013
Game 3 @ Game 1 Loser (if they tie the series) - July 20th 2013
This series will start us off with Round 2 when they face each other tomorrow in Game 1 of their best of 3 series... With both teams being seen as underdogs, the Harimau and Extreme both enter this series with a chip on their shoulders and something to prove. That being said, this series should be fun to watch. Cincinnati holds utama field advantage for game 1, but they can't be too overconfident about it. They lossed to Edmonton 15-10 earlier in the season on that same utama turf. The Extreme hope to repeat that, and take the utama side of the field for game 2... Both the teams crave the chance to prove the critics (like me) wrong and go on to win the Soldier's Cup... Only one can do it...
My Prediction -
Edmonton wins best of 3 series 2-1... I think both teams are too closely matched for a sweep, but 1 think Kodak's and 1975's smash mouth style will be a bit too much for the Tigers...