Worlds day 2 was only slightly less exciting than yesterday due to the fact that it was limited, allowing for less exciting innovations to be displayed but increasing the dramatic changes in rankings, position and promises for the rest of the tournament.

4 More Disqualifications

There were four more disqualifications from Worlds today, all for looking at other players' cards during the drafting process. It is sad as this means both the Turkish and Candian teams will join team USA on the sidelines for the remainder of the team portions. You can read the full write up on the Wizards website.

Player of the Year

The Player of the Year race is heating up. Yuuya Watanabe has lost the fatal fifth game which mathematically removes him from being able to make the Top 8 of the event. However we're seeing Saitou continue to make a strong run at it, ending Day 2 with 27 points, putting him in 10th place overall, while Juza has fallen to 17th place also with 27 points. Further down is Gabe Nassif with 24 points in 73rd place. It's still up in the air who's going to take it home this year.

Prediction: 1st. Tomoharu Saitou, 2nd. Martin Juza, 3rd. Gabe Nassif and 4th. Yuuya Watanabe

Individual Standings

Joel Calafell, Day 1's leader has dropped to 32nd on a 2-4 performance in today's draft pods. Meanwhile Marijn Lybaert remains in second, now trailing Bram Snepvangers, who rose from fifth yesterday to take the lead at the end of day 2. Of interest, Conley Woods is the #1 ranked American in the event, sitting at 6th and about to go into Extended on Day 3, something that bodes well for him given his Constructed performances and ability to bring unusual and surprising constructed decks. At the end of day 2 Kibler is down at 87th place, now playing in hopes of reaching Level 8 to take him into next season.

Prediction: Marijn Lybaert defs Conley Woods in 4.

Team Standings

Today has seen more surprises and shake ups to the Team standings, while the above DQs did not wreck any of the top teams, Day 2 ends in a three way tie with the Czech Republic, Japan and Brazil all sharing the top spot, ordered by tie breakers as listed. In fourth is Austria, and then we have Chinese Taipei edging out China. I still hold to my belief that Brazil will pull away, but only tomorrow will tell.

The DQs, as mentioned above, affected Canada and Hungary, who before the DQs had ended Day 1 in 26th and 38th respectively. The non-disqualified players will receive their prize money but are unable to compete for any more.

Prediction: Brazil defs. Japan4