As the ninth Counter-Strike: Global Offensive major approaches, we continue our previews with Group D.
SK Gaming (Ranked 1st on our team rankings)
Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo
Marcelo "coldzera" David
Lincoln "fnx" Lau
Fernando "fer" Alvarenga
Tacio "TACO" Filho
Wilton "zews" Prado (coach)
Team Profile
ESL One Cologne 2016 is the first event the Brazilian squad will play under the SK organization. Before moving to SK from Luminosity Gaming, they were known as KeyD Stars and KaBum.TD with latter being the first name of the original Brazilian squad that featured Toledo, Lau, Alvarenga and Teles twins from Immortals. After a slow start without much success, the Brazilians changed their roster numerous times under Toledo's leadership and at last, today's SK roster formed just before FACEIT Stage 3 Finals. Starting from that event, the Brazilians continuously rose on the rankings to become world's best team.
Major Experience
What can be said about a team that won the first major they attended as a whole? They've experienced lifting a major trophy and this alone ends the discussion.
Between Two Majors
The title holders have attended four offline events during the past three months. The first event was DreamHack Masters Malmö where they surprisingly lost to mousesports and TyLoo, and got eliminated. Some questions were asked but they've shown that they deserved their major title by winning two offline events in a row: DreamHack Austin and ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals. After those victories, they travelled back to London to attend their last offline event under Luminosity colors, ECS Season 1 Finals where they reached to the grand finals but were beaten by G2. ECS Season 1 Finals marked the second Luminosity versus G2 offline grand finals in a row at intercontinental events.
Cologne Expectations
Considering they have FaZe, G2 and fnatic in their group, it won't be too hard for them to reach grand finals at Cologne if they manage to reach the playoffs. Minimum expectations from SK would be reaching at least the semifinals but I don't think they'd fancy watching the grandfinals instead of playing in it.
fnatic (Ranked 3rd on our team rankings)
Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer
Robin "flusha" Rönnquist
Freddy "KRIMZ" Johansson
Jesper "JW" Wecksell
Dennis "dennis" Edman
Viktor "vuggo" Jendeby (coach)
Team Profile
fnatic are the most successful team in the death group. All of their players except Dennis "dennis" Edman (he joined up with the rest of the squad too late) are considered living legends and they deserve to be called so. Let me explain why they deserve such praise by looking to their major experience.
Major Experience
At least 60 maps on majors and two major titles. That's why those four players are Counter-Strike: Global Offensive legends. Remember how hard you missed Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer when he was out with wrist injury? You wouldn't miss an ordinary player that much, and believe me the same goes with every player on this fnatic roster, even Robin "flusha" Rönnquist, who has far more haters than almost any other CS: GO player due to unproven cheating accusations.
Yes, all four players except Edman have huge major experience, but even the greatest team wouldn't win a tournament with four players. Edman also has major experience with 35 maps in five majors and a best finish of semi-finals, twice. This might be the time for him to win his first major.
Between Two Majors
Because of Kajbjer's injury, fnatic have only attended one event (ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals) during the two months after MLG Columbus 2016. At that event where they used John "wenton" Eriksson, they achieved a semifinal exit. Considering they were without Kajbjer, this is a solid display from the Swedish side.
Kajbjer returned to action just before ELEAGUE Group D. With him, fnatic topped their group while struggling a little more than expected on the way, but they also managed to crush FaZe 16-0 at the same event. Finally, they went to London to attend ECS Season 1 Finals where they did just OK, as a semifinal exit should never be regarded as a success for a team like fnatic.
Cologne Expectations
Anything may happen if they make it out of the group stage but same goes for every team in the famous 'death group'. In the opening match, they'll face FaZe who stole one map from them on ELEAGUE. After the European mix, they're going to fight against either winners of the last major SK or G2 and their incredible form. No matter which teams clash in this group's decider match, it's going to be an 'early final'.
FaZe Clan (Ranked 6th on our team rankings)
Joakim "jkaem" Myrbostad
Philip "aizy" Aistrup
Håvard "rain" Nygaard
Fabien "kioShiMa" Fiey
Ricardo "fox" Pacheco
Robert "RobbaN" Dahlström (coach)
Team Profile
Since FaZe's original roster's creation in 2015 as Kinguin, the team has seen multiple roster and organization changes. During all those changes, they've maintained their international status as they've never had more than two players from the same country. Despite failing to make the playoffs at the vast majority of the events that they've attended, they're always a threat thanks to talent of their players.
Major Experience
It is no surprise that such an international squad with so much talent has a lot of major experience with them. All of their active roster have attended at least three majors and saw the semis at least once. They even have a major winner, Fabien "kioShiMa" Fiey.
Between Two Majors
I think their records at events between the two majors proves me right. They were unable to reach the playoff stage of DH Masters Malmö and failed to secure spots at finals of two prestigious leagues, ESL Pro League and ECS Season 1. But after those three dissappointments, they've shown signs of improvement by finishing second their ELEAGUE group. Moreover, their 3-0 record at ESL One Cologne 2016 Main Qualifiers has proved once more that they are always a big threat.
Major Expectations
It is somewhat ironic that the weakest team of this group is ranked 6th on our team rankings. Of course this is a result of the major's seeding system but still I'd want them to reach at least the quarter-finals. Please don't think I'm ruling out their chances of upsetting fnatic, SK or G2. Of course they have chance to make it out of the groups but it is just lower than the other teams of Group D.
G2 Esports (Ranked 2nd on our team rankings)
Richard "shox" Papillon
Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom
Cédric "RpK" Guipouy
Eduoard "SmithZz" Dubourdeaux
Alexandre "bodyy" Pianaro
Team Profile
G2's players know each other very well, especially the four members other than Alexandre "bodyy" Pianaro but neither two of them have played together for a long period of time in the past. Again, except the player I've mentioned, every member of this team is known for something: crazy frags, one taps, being a 'tank' like CS was a moba or being an AWPer that performs same with rifles. Nowadays, their latest signing Pianaro is starting to be known for making all those players perform better with his addition.
Major Experience
ESL One Cologne 2016 is Pianaro's first major and it is unclear if he'll perform like he had done since his move to G2 when under the major pressure. On the other hand the other G2 players, two of which have won a major in the past, have enough major experience to overcome that pressure.
Between Two Majors
Their first event after the MLG Columbus 2016 and the addition of Pianaro wasn't convincing as they bid farewell to Malmö after two defeats in a row. But after DH Malmö, G2 changed their skin and became a dominant force. They lost to LG in the grandfinals of ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals, finished their ELEAGUE group second despite winning all of their round robin stage matches, qualified barely to the major with a 3-2 record at the qualifiers and most importantly lifted the trophy at ECS Season 1 Finals by defeating LG to avenge their ESL Pro League Season 3 Finals loss.
Cologne Expectations
Their group at Cologne is the worst-case scenario for them. Even though they've defeated SK and fnatic at the previous events, mathups between elite level teams undestandably have no favorites. Reaching the quarter-finals over two of three top-10 ranked teams would mean a fairly easy path to the grand finals but SK, fnatic and FaZe are all will be ready to stop them.
Photos courtesies of Adela Sznajder - DreamHack, Patrick Strack - ESL, Adela Sznajder - DreamHack, Helena Kristiansson - ESL respectively.
Frontpage photo courtesy of Helena Kristiansson - ESL.
