A very exciting finish to the first week of the ESL Pro League Season 3, as all of the top North American teams clashed, but only two of the four could really prove their superiority.
Cloud9 vs. Counter Logic Gaming - Cobblestone & Overpass, 2 Bo1s
There was no doubt that Cloud9 was the clear favourite going into this series of two maps, however it was quite obvious that CLG would not be letting that happen all too easily.
The first pistol round of de_Cobblestone went in favour of CLG, allowing for the usual three round head start, due to a superior buy. The T's buy round saw Cloud9 drop the ball in an attempt at an A push, placing them at a 0:4 score. CLG pushed their high spirits a further two rounds, upon the conclusion of which Cloud9 composed themselves and focused on getting back into the game. At the end of the first half the score was 9:6 in favour of CLG. The second pistol was again taken by CLG, giving them an additional three rounds thereafter, expanding their lead. At this point Cloud9 seemed to be in quite the predicament, however, the team really showed just why they are considered to be one of the top NA teams in the world by mounting a ridiculous comeback from a 6:12 round deficit, coming back on top with a 16:12 score to finish off the first map.
Next up was de_Overpass. Following trends from the previous map, CLG landed the third pistol round of the series. Contrary to previous success after securing it, the team was not able to close out subsequent rounds, as Cloud9 snatched devices off their opponents, turning the tables on them with a 1:2 score. This transitioned into colossal momentum for C9, as they kept destroying CLG on their T side. As Cloud9 seemingly found the key to success, they rolled over CLG 11:4. The 100% pistol round dream was shattered, as CLG were not able to successfully storm the B site, instead getting locked down by the CT defence. A very C9 biased game ensued after this, as the matchup favourite went on to dominate the second half, closing it out 16:5.
Luminosity Gaming vs. Team Liquid - Overpass & Cobblestone, 2 Bo1s
Luminosity Gaming have proven in the recent and not-so recent past that they are truly deserving of all the praise they have received, showing stellar results against not only top North American teams, but also top European teams. Team Liquid were in for a very heavy Bo2, but they did have a trick up their sleeve - Alexander ''s1mple'' Kostyliev. The question was whether he would be the missing piece of the puzzle.
The Bo2 commenced on de_Overpass, where Team Liquid showed a solid defence on the A site, pushing back the Brazilian aggressors and ultimately securing the first pistol round. As expected the following two rounds were also secured, landing the Americans a 3:0 lead. After a solid start to the map, Team Liquid experienced some difficulties, as Luminosity gained a significant advantage, dictating their game to them. The Brazilians tried to make a run for it but Liquid successfully stabilised closer towards half time, 8:7 in favour of LG. The second pistol round was taken by LG, after an unsuccessful entry onto B site from TL. The latter portion of the match was full of intrigue and back and forth motion, as both teams were showing a very decent game. Only one team was able to emerge victorious however, and this team proved to be Luminosity Gaming with a 16:13 score.
de_Cobblestone was the final map of the day. The Brazilians set off on the CT side, pushing Liquid over in the first round. This translated into the expected 3:0 lead, however the Americans did manage to take back a round on their buy, attempting to stunt further development of the Brazilian momentum. It failed to faze Luminosity, as the team went on to secure a rather ridiculous 9:1 lead, pushing TL's nerves to the brink. This seemingly incentivised the Americans to put a spanner in it, as they rather confidently secured round after round, cutting the first half at a 10:5 score in favour of LG. The second half saw Liquid attempt a comeback, ultimately securing 11 of the 30 rounds, whilst the Brazilians closed out the series 2:0 in terms of maps, and 16:11 on de_Cobblestone.
