The Starladdder|i-League group stage has concluded and six teams got eliminated today in Minsk, while the other six will play over the course of the next three days in the single elimination playoff bracket.
After LGD, Alliance and Evil Geniuses have claimed their playoffs spots it was group B’s turn to decide who will be going home and who lives to see at least two more days at Minsk-Arena.
Apart from Team Liquid who was the leader of the board with nine points accumulated in the first day of the event, nobody else was really feeling safe at the beginning of day two, best-of-one games.
Team Secret had quite the rough start and needed to fight for their survival today. Their first game was versus compLexity Gaming and it didn’t go so smooth for the Europeans who got outmaneuvered on the map by the two Blomdin brothers, Cheesie and Limmp on their Lone Druid respectively Death Prophet. Super bold plays form Jacky "EternaLEnVy" Mao on Weaver kept Team Secret in the game and allowed them to make a late game comeback and secure three precious points.
The other Secret encounter was held versus the ones who eliminated them at WCA in China in December 2015, Wings Gaming. Although both games were held in the same 6.86 patch, the difference in play style was huge and Secret took their revenge in a dominant manner. Puppey and co needed only 26 minutes to execute the Chinese youngsters and with that they grabbed yet another three points and made it into the playoffs stage.
Day two ended with a decisive game between Vega Squadron and Virtus.Pro, two teams that know each other so well that their matchup went neck and neck in kills for more than 70 minutes. It was like watching a turn based game where each team would advance bit by bit towards the enemy base. VP was more successful with their high ground push and took two lanes of barracks and the mid tier three tower while Vega patiently waited for Pavel "9pashaebashu" Khvastunov - Ember Spirit to stash some Divine Rapiers.
It all came down to a breathtaking base race won by the killing machine that Ember became with his two Rapiers and Vega Squadron was the last team to advance into the Starladder|i-League playoffs.
Starting with day three live audience will come at the already sold out Minsk-Arena to watch their favorites play for a share of the $300,000 prize pool money. Given the fact that both Dota 2 and CS:GO will share the big stage, the schedule is a bit fragmented and it only features two best-of-three games:
08:00 CET - Evil Geniuses vs Vega Squadron
14:00 CET - Alliance vs Team Secret
For those who might be interested, from 11:00 CET to 15:00 CET there is a CS:GO playoff scheduled.
