ESL ESEA Pro League Stage 2 Finals Preview – CSGO

The previous ESL ESEA Pro League finals boasted some of the most chaotic and unexpected results. Group A saw Cloud 9 defeat EnVyUs in a BO1 and BO3 decider match, while CLG and Keyd Stars saw wins over Fnatic and TSM respectively to claim top seeds in their group. These upsets ultimately led to a Cloud 9 v Fnatic final, where the Swedes were able to win 3-1 across very close maps, and set the Americans up for a string of Top 2 finishes in the future. Season 2 of the league concludes this weekend in Burbank, California, with 4 North American teams (Liquid, Luminosity, Conquest and Counter Logic Gaming) and 4 European teams (? or ex-TSM, Fnatic, Natus Vincere and EnVyUs) battling it out for a share of $250,000.

GROUP A – Team Liquid, Fnatic, Conquest, EnVyUs

Thanks to their sub-par performance in the online stage of the league, major winners and arguable current best team in the world EnVyUs have landed themselves in a group with 3-time major winners and arguable best team of all time Fnatic, who are off the back of two offline first placings with their newest member dennis. EnVy’s last place finish at Dreamhack Winter was a shock to both the team and spectators and they will be looking to bounce back in their first match against the number one team in North America, Team Liquid. Conquest, the surprise package of the past few months being made up entirely of rejected players, come into this tournament looking to prove that their semi-final run at the CEVO Season 8 finals was not a fluke. However, facing Fnatic first off is a daunting task.

PLAYER TO WATCH – olofmeister, Fnatic

Olof was undoubtedly the best player in world for the majority of 2015. His versatility in rifling and awping, entry-fragging and clutching, was unmatched and his performances played a huge role in lifting his team to victories at the Katowice and Cologne majors. Towards the latter end of September and early October, his output seemed to drop quite significantly to what viewers had come to expect from the fragging machine. But consistently high-caliber performances during his team’s run to victories at Dreamhack Winter and Fragbite Masters signal that Olof is ready to reclaim the throne and carry Fnatic back to the status of best team in the world.

GOING HOME EARLY – Conquest

Simply, the daps-led squad do not match up to the talent in their group. Despite dispatching of Liquid quite easily at CEVO, Conquest have looked shaky and inconsistent since and having the two best teams in the world in their pool doesn’t help their cause. A good performance from ShahZam or NAF-FLY could see them play a map or two close, but the team’s inexperience will ultimately be their downfall.

GROUP B – ? (ex-TSM), Luminosity Gaming, Natus Vincere, Counter Logic Gaming

This group is an enigma. The Danes of ? were, earlier this year, touted as the best team in the world and their results showed. However, disappointing results over their past 3 events have put them in a slump, surrounded by rumours of roster changes. Luminosity, on the other hand, shocked spectators of Dreamhack Winter with an astounding second placing off the back of a roster move less than a week before the event. Despite the rumours surrounding their future, Na’Vi have also surprised many with a runners-up performance at the most recent major and victory at IEM San Jose. Heavy underdogs, CLG, have been their usual self, playing top teams very close but ultimately making too many mistakes to close the match out. All 4 teams have a lot to prove at this event, so expect some close matches and a few upsets, as may become the norm for ESL ESEA Pro League events.

PLAYER TO WATCH – GuardiaN, Natus Vincere

The best AWPer in the world has also recently been praised as the best player in the world off the back of his carry performances in his team’s great runs at their past 2 events. His kills with the AWP, often made off pixel reactions and insanely accurate flicks, set his team up to win rounds and the more mobile role he plays allows these picks to happen all across the map. The consistency of his frags, while doing all of this, is what has lifted Na’Vi to impressive victories and will be a big factor into how well they perform at Burbank.

GOING HOME EARLY – Counter Logic Gaming

This team always seems to underwhelm. Ever since their upsets wins against top European teams at tournaments like ESL ESEA Stage 1 Finals, MLG X Games Aspen and the ESL One Katowice Offline Qualifiers, CLG have been able to play games close against some of the best but never close them out. With the help of their new coach Pita, who stood behind NiP during their win at ESL Cologne 2014, they may be able to find a way to minimise their mistakes and enhance the impact of their star players, but I don’t see any major gameplay changes to come soon, let alone during this event.

PREDICTIONS

Overall, this event, being the last of the year, will cement a lot for the teams involved. Many are looking to prove their mettle while some plan on maintaining the level of consistency they’ve displayed over the past few months. I see Fnatic winning yet another event, this time against Na’Vi in the final, with ? and EnVyUs claiming 3rd and 4th. Luminosity and Liquid should place 5th and 6th while CLG and Conquest will finish last.

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