Moscow Phoenix
Moscow Phoenix was a Russian professional paintball team based in Moscow that competed in the Millennium Series Champions Paintball League (CPL) during the late 2000s. The team reached the final of the 2007 Millennium Series London tournament and remained a leading European professional competitor during the 2008 season.[1][2]
Moscow Phoenix competed against established international teams including Joy Division, London Nexus, Marseille Icon and Frankfurt Syndicate. Its rosters also featured American professional players.[2][3]
History
[edit]European professional competition (2007)
[edit]Moscow Phoenix was competing in the Millennium Series Champions Paintball League by 2007.
The team reached the professional final of the London tournament, where it finished second behind Sweden's Joy Stockholm.[1]
The result established Moscow Phoenix among the leading competitors in European professional paintball.
The team's original founding date has not been independently established.
2008 Millennium Series season
[edit]Moscow Phoenix continued competing in the CPL during 2008.
Following the opening two tournaments, the team was third in the provisional championship standings with 184 points, behind Budapest Bullets and Joy Stockholm.
Contemporary reporting documented American professional players Chris LaSoya and Glenn Takemoto competing with the team during the season.[2][3]
At the MAXS German Masters in September, Moscow Phoenix finished first in its preliminary group, recording three victories and qualifying for the quarter-finals.
The team was eliminated by Marseille Icon, losing the quarter-final 5-3.[4]
In October 2008, a contemporary tournament preview identified additional American players expected to join Moscow Phoenix for the Millennium Series Paris event, including Alex Goldman, Tyler Humphrey and Dave Fason.[5]
Centurio competition
[edit]Moscow Phoenix also participated in the 2008 Centurio European paintball series.
At the Moscow tournament, held on 26-27 July 2008, the team finished fourth in the European Professional League division.
SK Moscow won the tournament, followed by Moscow Caste and Toulouse TonTons.[6]
The team's subsequent competitive history and the date on which its original professional programme ceased operating have not been conclusively established.
Notable players
[edit]Documented players associated with Moscow Phoenix include:
- Chris LaSoya - American professional player associated with the team's 2008 Millennium Series roster.[3]
- Glenn Takemoto - American professional player documented competing with Moscow Phoenix in 2008.[3]
- Tyler Humphrey - American professional player who confirmed his former membership of Moscow Phoenix in a published interview.[7]
- Dave Fason - Former Baltimore Trauma professional player whose career history includes Moscow Phoenix.[8]
Selected tournament results
[edit]| Year | Tournament | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Millennium Series London | CPL | 2nd [1] |
| 2008 | Centurio Moscow | European Professional League | 4th [6] |
| 2008 | Millennium Series German Masters | CPL | Quarter-finalists [4] |
See also
[edit]- Millennium Series
- Russian Legion
- SK Moscow
- Art Chaos Moscow
- List of historically significant paintball teams
References
[edit]- Paintball Win Count - Millennium Series Historical Event Winners and Finalists, 2007 London.
- SEBURO - Coming Up This Weekend: Millennium Series MAXS German Masters, 1 September 2008.
- SEBURO - Millennium Series Preliminary Report, 6 September 2008.
- SEBURO - Millennium Series Quarter-Finals Results, 7 September 2008.
- JR Dominguez 32 Paintball - PBReserve News, 4 October 2008.
- PlayPaintball Ukraine - Centurio 2008 Tournament Results, Moscow, 26-27 July 2008.
- ProPaintball.com - Interview with Tyler Humphrey, 24 October 2019.
- Paintball Nerd - Fun Five Interview with Dave Fason, 7 April 2023.