Two rounds of the Swiss group stage have concluded, with the sixteen teams segregated into three groups of 2-0, 1-1 and 1-0 win/loss ratios.
| 2-0 Win/Loss |
1-1 Win/Loss |
0-2 Win/Loss |
|---|---|---|
 OpTic Gaming | ||
| Team Liquid | ||
 mousesports |  North | Heroic |
 G2 Esports |  Immortals |  TyLoo |
| FaZe Clan | ||
 Space Soldiers | ||
 Natus Vincere | ||
 Ninjas in Pyjamas |
mousesports vs. Fnatic - 1-0
de_Train - 16:11 (7:8, 9:3)
The first match of the day saw a series between the European mix of mousesports and the Swedish legends of Fnatic. Kicking off on the CT side, Fnatic managed to get off to a dominant start, securing the pistol round, followed by a further five rounds to extend the team's lead to 6:0. Following this commanding stint, mousesports clawed two rounds into their own favour, and kept the performance up for the remainder, allowing but a single round to fall into the Swedes' favour and even so, a bomb plant was secured. Able to mount quick the comeback, mousesports were faced with an insignificant deficit at 7:8 come half time.
The latter half saw yet another strong pistol round from Fnatic, however on this occasion the follow-up was not as potent, with only the obligatory two rounds secured post-pistol. Once able to go for a full buy, mousesports were quite apparently on the roll. The team left Fnatic without room to breathe consistently, culminating in absolute dominance over the latter half, as the team accrued nine rounds in consecutive fashion to bring the match back into their favour at 16:11.
de_Inferno - 16:14 (10:5, 6:9)
An incredibly close match-up between FaZe Clan and Heroic, one that came down to the very last round. Heroic started on the defence of Inferno, able to dispatch the entire roster of the European mix, in turn securing the first round of the series. This was shortly followed by a force buy from FaZe Clan, one that proved to be effective as the team managed to upset the better equipped CTs, equalising the score at 1:1. This seemed to have fired up the team, allowing them to accrue a further two rounds via successful bomb plants. Heroic retaliated in round 5, however this was succeeded by a four round victory string from FaZe Clan, furthering their lead to a 7:2 score line. In the remaining six rounds the teams went splits, concluding the initial half at a 10:5 score in favour of FaZe Clan.
In a bid to continue their dominant stint, FaZe Clan managed to score the second pistol round. Able to defuse the bomb, the team extended the lead to 11:5, however the economy for Heroic wasn't looking the worst. Risking a potential setback, Heroic opted for a force buy, and much like their opponents in the prior half, managed to run away with the round, followed by an additional two. The recurring theme for the second half was FaZe grabbing round, followed by two from Heroic, all the way to a 14:14 score line. Having focused up, FaZe Clan managed to put their heads together to knock out the final two rounds needed to advance into the upper bracket of round 2 at an extremely close 16:14.
Immortals vs. 
Virtus.pro - 1-0
de_Cobblestone - 16:12 (8:7, 8:5)
Cobblestone saw an initial burst of performance from the Poles, as the team accrued not only the pistol round, but three following rounds to produce a solid early lead at 4:0. Despite a disheartening start, Immortals managed to refocus and started gaining rounds of their own. In somewhat of an unexpected development the Brazilians absolutely pummelled the Poles consistently, all the way to a 7:4 lead on their part. In yet another sway of momentum, Virtus.pro engaged the plow, in an attempt to bring back the series into their favour All the Poles were able to do was soften the deficit to a single round, as the Brazilians outclassed their opponent, closing the initial half at 8:7 in their favour.
The latter half saw Immortals dictate the early game, as the initial three rounds fell in their favour at 11:7. Tapping into their extensive experience and knowledge of the game, Virtus.pro once again manage to claw themselves back into the match, as the team equalised come round 22 at 11:11. Blows were traded by the teams in the following two rounds, with neither able to sprint ahead of the other. This was a pivotal point in the match, where Immortals were able to destabilise the Polish economy, exploiting their disadvantage. The following four rounds saw the Brazilians outperform the veterans, closing the series 16:12 in favour of Immortals.
SK Gaming vs. Space Soldiers - 0-1
de_Cache - 14:16 (3:12, 11:4)
The Turkish underdogs dove into the match on the T side, where they were able to secure the pistol, followed by two rounds where they had an innate equipment advantage. SK Gaming were able to land a digit on their first full buy, however this was succeeded with nothing less than shock, as Space Soldiers simply didn't allow the Brazilians to develop momentum off the back of this victory, rather the team went on to absolutely demolish what is known to be one of the finest teams in the history of CS:GO, securing none less than four consecutive rounds, leading with a 7:1 score line. The following four rounds saw the teams go halves, leading to a 9:3 surplus in favour of Space Soldiers. Such a comfortable score was not sufficient for the Turks, as they proceeded to dominate the remaining three rounds, concluding the initial half with a flabbergasting 12:3 lead.
With the latter half engaged, SK Gaming were looking significantly more convincing after securing the three initial rounds and closing the gap to half the score of their opponent at 6:12. It was starting to seem like Space Soldiers were unable to come up with a response to the Brazilian aggression, as round after round kept falling in the lap of SK Gaming, all the way to a dangerous 12:12 equaliser. Playing their hearts out, Space Soldiers were capable of bringing themselves back into the lead, extending their score to just one round victory away from the upper Swiss round #2. A valiant attempt at a comeback was seen from the Brazilians, who managed to make it to 14:15 prior to falling in the last round. In a 2v2 retake situation Space Soldiers managed to upset the legendary roster of SK Gaming, taking victory over them at a nail-biting 16:14 score.
Ninjas in Pyjamas vs. Cloud9 - 1-0
de_Cache - 16:12 (9:6, 7:6)
Ninjas in Pyjamas kicked off their match on the CT side, where they managed to a foot in the series by grabbing the pistol round. Immediate retaliation was seen from Cloud9, as the Ts managed to secure a bomb plant, as well as subsequently see through its explosion. A brawl ensued after this early instability, whereby the teams went blow for blow until the score line was at an equal 3:3. At this point the Ninjas managed to accrue a decent lead after putting together five consecutive rounds, looking at Cloud9 from above with an 8:3 favour. The Americans decided the match wasn't over just yet, securing three rounds of their own, however the final round of the map once again went in favour of the Swedes, producing a 9:6 half in their favour.
Cloud9 managed to close the score deficit to just one round after securing not only the latter pistol round, but also the following three, giving the team a glimmer of hope at 9:10. Unfortunately for the American roster, Ninjas in Pyjamas were determined to emerge victorious, as a string of five rounds was accrued immediately after this positive development for them, with the Swedes just two rounds away from victory. In a last-ditch effort Cloud9 managed to claw two rounds in their favour, however the effort proved futile, as NiP secured two to close the best-of-one at 16:12.
TyLoo vs. G2 Esports - 0-1
de_Cache - 9:16 (8:7, 1:9)
The underdogs of TyLoo commenced the match with a successful pistol round performance, whereby the team dispatched all members of G2 Esports, landing their first digit of the tournament. The performance was uninterrupted all the way through to a 3:0 lead. Once able to secure a full buy, G2 Esports managed to secure a round in a post-plant situation, however still faced with a 1:3 deficit. Curious developments were seen further, as TyLoo kept up their performance from before, running away with a whopping four consecutive rounds, further extending their lead over the Frenchmen at 7:1. Luckily for G2 Esports the team had it within them to step up, securing six of the final seven rounds of the half, concluding at 7:8.
Once on the T side the Frenchmen were reinvigorated. Having started off with a successful pistol round, followed by an additional two, the team conceded a round to TyLoo on their full buy. Following this loss, however, the Frenchmen went on to absolutely dominate the latter half, securing six rounds in a row and consequently a victory at 16:9.
North vs. OpTic Gaming - 0-1
de_Cobblestone - 9:16 (2:13, 7:3)
A strong start was seen from the American roster on the CT side of affairs, as the first pistol round was accrued. North managed to secure a bomb plant in the following round, supplementing their economy slightly, however no successful explosion was seen, as OpTic managed to defuse the situation. The Americans' dominant stint continued, as the team kept pushing North out of the rounds, leading to a strong 7:0 initial lead. Managing to accrue as few as two rounds, North were faced with a serious deficit come half time at 2:13.
After switching over to the defence, the Danes were apparently more comfortable, as they recreated the initial performance of their opponents. North dominated seven rounds in a row, giving a shimmer of hope to both themselves and their followers, however this shimmer seized to shine shortly after, as OpTic Gaming landed three rounds in a row, closing the series at a 16:9 score line.
Natus Vincere vs. Team Liquid - 0-1
de_Inferno - 7:16 (4:11, 3:5)
Team Liquid got off to a successful start, as the team managed to dispatch the entire roster of Natus Vincere in one of the most crucial rounds of the map, the pistol round. Following their early success the team further demonstrated dominance, clocking in the following three rounds to produce a 4:0 lead on Na'Vi. Opting not to refresh their equipment in round 5, Team Liquid were working with a few anti-eco weapons against a fully equipped Natus Vincere. Needless to say things did not end well for the Americans, as they conceded their first round of the half, placing Na'Vi on the map at 1:4. Seemingly unfazed by the minor setback, Liquid proceeded to accrue rounds in their favour, picking up three in consecutive fashion and consequently extending their lead. This was a recurring theme in the remainder of the half, as Team Liquid closed the first fifteen at a strong 11:4 surplus.
The second pistol once again fell in favour of the Americans, placing the CIS mix in a predicament and a half. In desperation Na'Vi decided to purchase CZ-75s, however the plan fell through as Liquid came rushing with anti-eco equipment, dispatching the lesser equipped team. Against all odds Na'Vi managed to shine through the distinct economic disadvantage, a performance that seemed to have inspired the team. On the back of this hero play, Na'Vi managed to secure three consecutive rounds, cutting the deficit to 7:12. The initial deficit proved to be the culprit of the CIS mix, as Team Liquid refocused and brought the fight to them, slamming their opponents four rounds in a row and as a result secured the map on a 16:7 note.
SK Gaming vs. Virtus.pro - 1-0
de_Mirage - 16:9 (12:3, 4:6)
Having started on the CT side of Mirage, SK Gaming managed to pick up the pistol round, able to fend off the notorious Virtus.pro T side. Capitalising on their early advantage, the Brazilians extended it in good fashion, round it up to a 3:0 lead. Due to an unsuccessful force buy, the Poles were running around with pistols in rounds 4 and 5, and due to this disadvantage they exacerbated their deficit to a dire 0:7. Despite the disheartening performance, the Golden Five managed to put their heads together and secure two rounds of their own, however even these were shortly followed by pummelling from SK Gaming, as the Brazilians forced their game upon the Poles. This uncomfortable dynamic meant that Virtus.pro only secured an additional round in their favour over the remainder of the initial half, concluding it at a 3:12 deficit.
The latter half once again saw a successful pistol round coming out from SK Gaming, as they manage to dismantle the Polish defence plate by plate. Additionally the Brazilians made sure to supplement their economy with $800 by planting the bomb. Despite a strong start, SK unfortunately lost the momentum after a successful force buy from the Poles, one that changed the short-term course of the match significantly. Not only did Virtus.pro manage to get another round on the map at 4:13, the team also destabilised the Brazilian economy, in turn ensure a further round in their favour at 5:13. On a high note, Virtus.pro managed to further their score to a 9:14 deficit, leaving but a five round gap between them and their opponents, however SK Gaming had other things in mind, as the Brazilians cut the match short after securing two consecutive rounds, closing the series at 16:9.
de_Mirage - 16:6 (10:5, 6:1)
Heroic kicked off to a decent start, as the Danes were able to secure the initial pistol round, followed by another, creating a 2:0 lead. Largely thanks to a bomb plant in round 1, Fnatic were able to secure a buy on round 3, turning the tide against Heroic. Off the back of this development the Swedes were able to establish momentum, propelling their score to a 6:2 lead. A slight retaliation was seen from Heroic in round 9, as the team was able to defuse in a post-plant, however this was followed up by more dominance from Fnatic. By round 12 the Swedes had managed to accrue a 8:3 lead on the T side of Mirage. In conclusion of the prior half Heroic managed to scrape together a couple of rounds, with Fnatic having the last word at 10:5.
After switching onto the CT side, Fnatic dropped the ball in the pistol round, conceding it to Heroic, however in the following round the Swedes decided to force buy, to great avail, as they managed to once again sway the match in their favour. A repeat of the previous, as Fnatic snowballed all the way to a commanding 16:6 victory. In a concerning turn of events for the CT side of Virtus.pro, SK Gaming managed to secure yet another pistol round, allowing the team to purchase improved equipment in the following. Up for a gamble, the Poles forced themselves and managed to upset the favoured team. Virtus.pro snagged a couple more rounds, leading to a lessened deficit at 5:13. Despite all efforts fate proved inevitable, as the Poles fell to SK Gaming with a 16:6 score, meaning the team was able only to add a single additional round to their performance in the latter half.
Cloud9 vs. Natus Vincere - 0-1
de_Train - 32:34 (6:9, 9:6, 17:19)
The CIS representatives commenced on the T side of affairs, able to ensure the first pistol, followed by an additional two rounds. Granted a full buy, Cloud9 were able to pose a threat, dispatching all members of the opposition, however this performance proved to be sporadic, as Na'Vi seemed to be extremely comfortable on the aggression. For the majority of the initial half the CIS mix was dominating, as Cloud9 were able to secure only two rounds in the initial eleven. The Americans did however focus near the end of it, scoring four consecutive rounds to produce a 6:9 deficit, instead of something worse.
The time was nigh for Cloud9 to perform, as the team managed to secure two successful bomb plants in the first two rounds of the latter half. Not only did this signify a comeback for the team, it also greatly assisted their financial situation. Further rounds were accrued, all the way to a 12:11 score line before Na'Vi were able to retaliate with three rounds of their own, placing the team just two rounds away from victory at 14:12. The teams kept butting heads, with the destiny of each team placed on the shoulders of two individuals in round 30. Faced with a potential loss, Cloud9's Tyler "Skadoodle" Latham stepped up in the final round, taking care of the infamous Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev, pushing the series into overtime. An absolute grind of an overtime was seen, as a total of 36 additional rounds were played out, totalling at six overtimes. The CIS mix managed to come out on top in the end, proving their stoic nature.
de_Inferno - 6:16 (6:9, 0:7)
TyLoo commenced Inferno on the T side of affairs, where the team managed to impress by kicking off with a successful pistol. The early aggression was complemented with two additional rounds, extending the team's early lead to 3:0. On their first full buy, North were able to prevent the score from further favouring the Chinese, scoring their first round of the map. Following this round loss TyLoo proceeded to secure rounds, extending their lead to 5:1. In what proved to be the pivotal point in the match, North started dominating the score board, consistently securing round after round. All but a single round fell in favour of a losing North, concluding the initial half at 9:6 in their favour.
In the latter half the teams North showed a strong T side, securing the first pistol round, coupled with the following two rounds. Despite being able to secure a full buy, TyLoo were unable to pose a threat to the Danes, falling both in literal and economic terms. With a shattered economy and a massive loss streak, TyLoo conceded a total of seven consecutive rounds without a single victory, falling to the Danish roster of North with a 6:16 score line.
Space Soldiers vs. OpTic Gaming - 0-1
de_Mirage - 9:16 (6:9, 3:7)
The Turks started on the CT side of Mirage, where they were able to successfully dispatch all members of OpTic in the initial round, securing a foot in the series. The score line saw a healthy development for Space Soldiers, as the team managed to capitalise in the following rounds at 3:0, albeit conceding a bomb plant in the last one. OpTic Gaming retaliated on their full buy in round 4, however this was shortly met with another victory from a fire up Space Soldiers. A 2:4 deficit proved to be a pivotal point for the Americans, as a loss was not a possibility they were willing to entertain. The team proceeded to demonstrate a solid performance in the remainder of the half, allowing but two round victories to the Turks.
Half #1 concluded at a 9:6 surplus for OpTic. Space Soldiers saw yet another strong pistol round, complemented by two additional victories, however all round past the full buy were accrued by OpTic Gaming, totalling at a whopping seven. With that, the mix of OpTic closed the series at 16:9.
mousesports vs. FaZe Clan - 1-0
de_Nuke - 16:12 (11:4, 5:8)
The clash of European mixes saw a strong start from mousesports, where the team managed to secure the pistol round on the T side of the map. Following up with another two, the roster seemed fired up and ready to go at 3:0. Despite FaZe Clan being the clear favourite of this match-up, the team was unable to pose any resemblance of a threat to mousesports, as their opponents accrued an astonishing 9:0 lead. In the remainder of the half FaZe clawed four rounds in their favour, softening the blow, however the team was still faced with a 4:11 deficit come half time.
FaZe retaliated by securing a strong initial second half, as the team scored four consecutive rounds, however in the grind that ensued the team was unable to persevere, allowing mousesports to score the final five rounds needed to win the series at 16:12.
Immortals vs. Team Liquid - 0-1
de_Train - 15:19 (8:7, 7:8, 0:4)
The clash between South and North America saw Immortals secure the pistol round. Whilst this was true, and the digit was in favour of the Brazilians, Team Liquid managed to secure a bomb plant, complementing their economic situation. This meant that in round 3 the Americans were able to upset the Brazilians' initial string of victories at 1:2. This proved to be an outlier, however, as Immortals charged on forward, scoring another three before Liquid barked back. A repeat of the prior meant a 2:8 deficit for Team Liquid, and a sure loss if things kept going in the same manner. The Americans sought to rectify their initial losing streak by stringing together five rounds in a row, keep it close at 7:8.
Yet another dominant start was seen from the Brazilians, whereby the initial five rounds fell in their favour, extending the lead to 13:7. This commanding stint proved to be temporary, as Liquid managed to catch up to the Brazilians later on, as the race to 16 round victories was on at a 13:14 score in favour of Immortals. The majority of the final three rounds were secured by Liquid, leading to a 15:15 stalemate. Whilst the main portion of the match was quite close and heat, overtime was quite the opposite, as the Americans managed to smash four consecutive rounds in a row, closing out the series at 19:5.
G2 Esports vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas - 0-1
de_Cache - 6:16 (5:10, 1:6)
The final match of the day demonstrated a new version of Ninjas in Pyjamas. Despite conceding the first three rounds of the map, NiP managed to retaliate on their full buy and the round following it, closing the round gap to 2:3. A bit of a brawl ensued after this exchange, however upon its conclusion NiP found it within themselves to simply dominate their opposition. Seven rounds were secured by the Swedes, leading to a 10:5 initial half finish.
The latter half was quite lop-sided in favour of the Ninjas, as the Swedes managed to close out the pistol round, followed by the obligatory two, extending their lead ever so close to a map point at 13:5. G2 Esports clapped back with a single round, however this were too far gone at this point, as a fully equipped NiP managed to close out the series at 16:6.
Image courtesy of ESL Twitter
