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Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2017 - Day two recap

Day two of IEM Sydney 2017 concluded with four teams securing semi-final placements and four teams sent packing for a long flight home.
 

Semi-finalistsEliminated
Brazil SK GamingChina ViCi Gaming
Denmark AstralisAustralia Renegades
Europe FaZe ClanDenmark North
United States OpTic GamingAustralia Chiefs eSports Club

 

Australia Renegades vs. China ViCi Gaming
de_Cobblestone - 16:5 (11:4, 5:1)

Unfortunately for ViCi they were the first team to face knockout from the event, as the team fell with swift nature. The initial half saw the locals grab the pistol, followed by aggression from ViCi, allowing the team to secure four of five following rounds, with a bomb planted on the single one that saw a loss. Things were looking great economically for the Chinese, however a consistently dominant performance from the Aussies meant a whopping nine consecutive rounds to close the initial half at 11:4 in favour of Renegades. The T side for Renegades was rather brief, as the pistol followed by three rounds were secured, placing the team at map point. ViCi claw their way back in round 20 in a post-plant situation to secure one final round before falling at 16:5.

United States OpTic Gaming vs. Australia Renegades
de_Train - 16:4 (11:4, 5:0)

Renegades faced the same fate as their previous opponents, however they were unable to quite match the score line. OpTic kicked off to a shaky start on the T side, as they let the pistol and following two rounds slip in favour of Renegades. Unfazed by the setback the North American representatives systematically score rounds, conceding but a single additional round to the Aussies over the course of the entire half, leading to an 11:4 finish on the T side. As far as the defence went it proved to be flawless, as OpTic struck the Aussies down five times in a row to produce a perfect latter half at 5:0 and consequently 16:4.

Europe FaZe Clan vs. Denmark North 
de_Cache - 19:16 (11:4, 4:11, 4:1)

The only map that saw overtime over the course of the entire day, FaZe were able to out-grind their Danish opponents to remain in the race for the semi-finals. The team got off to a strong start on the T side by securing the pistol round. All rounds preceding the opponents' first full buy were accrued by the European mix, however when well-equipped the Danes proved to be a problem for FaZe. These problems were apparent during rounds four through six, however following that FaZe managed to find the key to success, conceding but a single round in a post-plant situation. The initial half saw a strong 11:4 from FaZe. North weren't about to settle on a loss, producing much of the same on the T side as their opponents.  The only exception was that the Danes were in fact able to shut down the first full buy from FaZe, as well as the rounds prior to it. A mirror performance from North signalled overtime at 15:15. A poor performance from North's T side in overtime put the team at a disadvantage at 1:2, once FaZe hopped over onto the aggression it was all over in a matter of two rounds at 19:16.

Brazil SK Gaming vs. Denmark Astralis
de_Inferno - 16:12 (6:9, 10:3)

A spectacular match from the two favourites for the tournament that ultimately saw SK Gaming take the shortcut to the semi-finals. Astralis commenced on the CT side of Inferno, where the first three rounds were accrued. The Brazilians prevented further momentum from developing after securing four rounds to one in the follow up. Despite the setback, Astralis were able to continue grabbing rounds, letting go of only two in the later portion of the half. A 9:6 finish in favour of Astralis' CT side meant SK Gaming had work to do. The second pistol fell in favour of the Brazilians on their CT side, however they were only able to produce a single additional round before Astralis were able to further their lead to 11:8. Kick off their ascent back into the lead, SK Gaming were able to secure a post-plant victory in round 20, followed by a string of rounds that was only interrupted on one occasion. A total of eight rounds meant a successful ending for SK Gaming, as the team secured the first semi-final spot at 16:12.

Australia Chiefs eSports Club vs. Denmark North
de_Nuke - 16:13 (5:10, 11:3)

In a spectacular display Chiefs were able to defend home soil from the Danes, knocking the team out of the race. The initial half of the map saw a strong T side from North, where the team, despite conceding the pistol round, were able to successfully get back into the mind-set and accrue rounds. With a rare victory for the Aussies dotted amongst numerous for North, the Danes conclude the initial half at 10:5. Chiefs proved to be no pushovers on the T side themselves, and were able to outshine their opponents. The second pistol was secured by the Australians, and as few as three rounds were conceded to the Danes, producing an astonishing display of Counter-Strike that culminated in a strong 11:3 finish, and as a consequence a close 16:13 victory.

Europe FaZe Clan vs. United States OpTic Gaming
de_Train - 16:6 (10:5, 6:1)

A comprehensive victory from FaZe Clan to secure their place in the semi-finals. The European side kicked off on the aggression, falling in round one. This was no setback for the team, as they were able to come back in the following three rounds, extending their lead at 3:1. Rounds went by, ultimately favouring FaZe by the conclusion of the initial half, where the European mix managed to amass a 10:5 lead. After switching over to the defence the second pistol was theirs for the taking. OpTic were able to secure bomb plants on two consecutive occasions, however it was all useless as FaZe struck and meant it, defusing on both occasions. But a single round was accrued by OpTic on the offense, whilst FaZe slammed six in their favour to close out at a commanding 16:6.

Denmark Astralis vs. Australia Renegades
de_Nuke - 16:3 (12:3, 4:0)

Astralis dealt with Renegades in swift fashion, as the local representative was simply unable to perform to the same level as their European opponents. The CT side was where it would all start for Astralis, able to grab the initial pistol. Round two saw an upset from Renegades, locking down the Danes and securing a round. No further developments from the Aussies  as a post-plant victory was seen for Astralis, followed by two rounds with team aces. Only able to bag as few as two additional rounds, Renegades were faced with a 3:12 deficit against the best team in the world upon the conclusion of the initial half. Astralis did what the best team in the world would do in such a situation - keep it brief at four consecutive rounds and a 16:3 score line.

United States OpTic Gaming vs. Australia Chiefs eSports Club
de_Train - 16:10 (9:6, 7:4)

The final map of the day saw the final Australian representative exit the race for a spot in the semi-finals, as Chiefs fell to the likes of OpTic Gaming. The start was quite promising for Chiefs, as a strong intial lead was accrued off the back of momentum developed following a victory in the pistol round. Five consecutive rounds placed the team at a flawless 5:0 lead, however immediately after this happened, OpTic woke up. The mix was able to fend off the Australians on the defence, contrary to the initial five rounds, allowing but the 15th round in their favour at 9:6. OpTic recreated the very same result their opponents showed at the start, copping five consecutive rounds to start things off. Mind you, this meant that OpTic were two rounds away from a victory, and despite this pressure the Australians did their best to prevent them. Three rounds fell in favour of Chiefs, however the locals fell short, conceding the crucial two rounds to OpTic, consequently falling at 10:16.

Image courtesy of ESLCS Twitter

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