We sift through the wreckage from Thursday night's car-crash Team Fortress 2 action and look on down the road to the finals

Oh my! The winds of change have been blowing a mighty gale and wreaking havoc across the once predictable pastures of our European scene.

Yesterday, I told you we had seven teams from the most recent Cadred Top Ten competing in the Western Digital Challenge; the top bananas, the elite, the cream of Europe. Today, their ranks have been decimated and only a paltry total of three of those teams remain in the running for the tantalising €250 cash prize.

Where did it all go wrong?

The first to be toppled were the infamous FakkelBrigade, albeit in a rather undramatic fashion, by falling foul of the tournament rules; they were unable to field a team due to a no-show from star soldier Mark "Exfane" de Ruiter. This opened the default-door for mix team comprised of Blame and former PENTIA players going by the name of "We Make Pew Pew", who went on to plough through the revamped Rejects/PENTIA side on competitive scene's only played Capture the Flag map, Turbine.

Turbine is one of a select few maps with cast-iron Marmite status, loved and hated with equal fervour, it has polarised the community opinion. Despite its deceptively simple layout, it trips teams up time and time again as seemingly comfortable leads are eroded in the blink of an eye when careless teams get wiped out and the chain caps ensue.

Such was the fate of the biggest scalp of the night: the much-talked-about Power Gaming and their rejigged roster appeared to be cruising to victory, leading 7-3 with four minutes on the clock against a fresh-faced El Diablos Brigade, only to wind up on the wrong side of an 8-7 final score. I didn't get to see the game but it's not often that a set of numbers make me laugh out loud; well played eLD!

I Don't Know? Black also felt the pinch on Turbine as Hadouken's garlic-infused brand of awesome almost proved too much for the current European alphamales, but they managed to compose themselves and scrape through 11-10. I Don't Know? Pink squad were not so fortunate, having had their (frogs)legs cut out from under them in the previous round when losing Badlands on a Golden Cap to a breeze team which has been bolstered by the addition of former Power Gaming scout, Henry "fluffly" Rantanen.

However, the Finns victory party was soon crashed by those unruly Koreans from WeMadeFux and their dashing Irish medic, who when asked about their 19-4 Turbine thrashing, quipped:

Elsewhere, Spanish hotshots, Mister, managed to exact some revenge when reversing the outcome of their recent title decider; this time beating Team Rockit who denied them gold in ETF2L Season 7. The Spaniards are proving yet again that they can compete at the top level with a convincing win on Turbine: definitely my dark horse for the tournament! Like Mister, Crack Clan have also had some good results in ESH tournaments to date, although arguably aided by an easy draw this time they must now test their mettle against idk? in the last eight.

TCM-Gaming's results so far in the competition are hardly anything to write home about, but those of us who expect them to produce whitewash victories against lesser teams can take solace in the news that they were playing off-class. Furthermore, I hear they are particularly unimpressed by circling vultures of esports journalism; will they fold? Definitely!

Sunday's Fixtures

You filthy sluts love a bit of drama, don't you? One or two unexpected results and you're all writhing around in ecstasy like the proverbial pigs in shit: it's a beautiful thing!

Well you will all just contain yourselves for a few more days and keep it locked on Cadred for all the latest.

ESH: Western Digital Playoffs