Day One of the ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier has come to a close between Astralis, Cloud9, MIBR, and Team Liquid.
Astralis looks like the best Counter Strike team in the world. Their combination of great teamwork and amazing individual skill terrifies the rest of the pack. However, they are coming off of a disappointing finish at ESL One Cologne. They are aiming to prove, again, that they are the top team in the world. They also look to avenge their loss at ESL One with an ELEAGUE Premier championship.
On the other hand, Cloud9 looks like a completely new squad. The team lost two of their long-time members, Jacky “Stewie2k” Yip, and more recently in-game leader Tarik “tarik” Celik. They have chosen to keep their current stand-in Martin “STYKO” Styk for this event. Also, Cloud9 were able to acquire former Fnatic in-game leader Maikil “Golden” Selim as their fifth player. It will be hard for them to find synergy, especially since this will be the first time Golden will be shotcalling in English. They have only had Golden for a week prior to the ELEAGUE Premier.
Speaking of new lineups, Made in Brazil also comes into the ELEAGUE Premier with a new player. Cloud9’s former in-game leader Tarik recently joined the squad. MIBR had a disappointing showing during ESL One Cologne and hasn’t had that much success from the team’s transition from the SK Gaming brand to MIBR. However, Tarik and Stewie2k will have some great synergy from their time in Cloud9.
Finally, Team Liquid also had a lackluster showing at ESL One Cologne. They look to have a performance opposite of their games in Germany. Team Liquid put a lot of emphasis on discipline and fundamentals, which is comparable to Europe’s Astralis. They also have great synergy built between their members when you compare them to their opposition, MIBR.
Astralis vs. Cloud9
A pretty convincing first match for Astralis against the new-look Cloud9. However, early on, Cloud9 was able to make a game of it as well.
Autimatic, Skadoodle, and RUSH make some great shots in the first half of Inferno, and GOLDEN’s leadership seems to be affecting the team in a good way. However, Astralis was looking calm and collected the whole two maps. Their team synergy, as well as their precise, disciplined style of play, was too much for Cloud9. Astralis’ AWPer Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz was impactful the whole match, hitting key shots. He would finish the match with the most kills on his team, and in the game.
The same story is written on Overpass. Astralis looked super clean and was showing their muscle the whole game, overwhelming Cloud9 every turn of the match.
https://clips.twitch.tv/HealthyGrotesqueBaguetteLeeroyJenkins
It looks like Cloud9 has a lot to work on, but for a team that just came together a week ago, they did put up a decent fight against the best team in the world.
MIBR vs. Team Liquid
Team Liquid looked pretty dominant versus MIBR today.
Made in Brazil’s gameplay was clear: play fast and furious and keep the North American team off balance. As planned, the Brazilians hyper-aggressive play kept Team Liquid on their heels. However, when once Team Liquid would manage to find a footing, MIBR would falter. It is clear that MIBR are still lacking in teamwork and coordination. Liquid, even in tense and messy situations, is able to stay calm and determined throughout the games.
.@TwistzzVD with a clutch deagle 4k to hold A site. pic.twitter.com/9J3fIdqNHv
— ELEAGUE (@ELEAGUETV) July 21, 2018
Team Liquid would take Inferno 16-8, and Cache 16-9.
The Next Matchups
A great storyline has been able to form in the ELEAGUE Loser’s Bracket of Group A. MIBR and Cloud9 meet in the lower bracket, posing a grudge match between former teammates. RUSH, Autimatic and Skadoodle look to prove that even with Stewie2k and Tarik gone, they are still a force to be reckoned with. MIBR look to redeem themselves, especially against Tarik and Stewie2k’s former team. Look for an exciting match between Stewie2k and star player Autimatic to wrestle for control in their group match.
What do you think of the first day of the ELEAGUE Premier? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! If you want more Counter Strike content, check us out here!
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