IEM Cologne Day 1 Recap: The Die is Cast!
Counter Strike is back with one of the most prestigious events of the year. IEM Cologne commenced on the 26th of July. And 16 of the 24 participating teams have just played their opening matches to decide which teams will be moving forward to the Group Stage.
Image Source: ESLAll opening matches are BO1. And all Round 2 matches are BO3.
Image Source: ESLThe Play-In Stage: Upper Bracket Round 1
16 teams participated in the Play-in Stage to qualify for the Group Stage. However, only 8 out of these 16 will make the cut.
MOUZ vs The Mongolz:
Opening game of the day was MOUZ taking on The Mongolz. MOUZ managed to edge out the competition to take the win. They managed to push the map into Overtime after a stellar CT-side. And managed to win the game 22-19, propelling themselves into the next round.
Into the Breach vs Ninjas in Pyjamas:
NIP made easy work of their opponents on Ancient. The Swedish outfit showed off a stellar CT-side in the first half. This allowed them to win the game 16-5. They moved ahead onto the next round where they will face MOUZ in the Upper Bracket Round 2.
Fnatic vs Complexity:
Another game that was pushed into Overtime, neither team wanted top give up. Complexity managed to push the map into Overtime off the back of a 4-round win streak on their T-side. But this did not prove to be enough, as Fnaici had the upper hand, and won the game 19-17. The Swedes moved ahead into round 2.
OG vs 9INE:
Yet another match being pushed into Overtime, it was 9INE who managed to come out on top in the series. Both teams were quite evenly matched on Overpass. The Polish Powerhouse managed to get to map point first, but OG pushed the map into Overtime in round 30. But this was all for naught, as 9INE grasped this opportunity, and closed out the map at 19-17.
Apeks vs BIG:
Apeks managed to get the better of BIG in their matchup. The German Outfit fell short, as Apeks managed to take control most of the time. Duking it out on Mirage, Apeks showed off strong T and CT-sides to take the map 16-10.
Astralis vs Team Liquid:
With the recent addition of 2 new youngsters, it was Astralis who managed to take the win against Liquid. Boasting a strong a CT-side on Ancient, the Danish side managed to win the map at 16-10. Although it was NAF with the most kills at 26, it was not enough for Team Liquid.
Monte vs Imperial Esports:
Battling it out on Nuke, Imperial had a strong start on the T-side against Monte. However, the European side did manage to even the score out at 8-7 in the first half. Imperial’s T-side, however, left a lot to be desired, as they could only win 1 round in the second half. Monte took the win in quite the dominant fashion at 16-9.
Grayhound Gaming vs Furia:
The last of the opening games, Furia managed to take the win against Grayhound Gaming. Battling it out on Ancient once again, both teams gave everything they had. But in the end, it was Furia who moved on to the next round, as they won the game at 16-11. They achieved this off the back of a 5-round win streak on the CT-side.
Upper Bracket Round 2:
MOUZ vs Ninjas In Pyjamas:
In the second round of the Upper Bracket, MOUZ pulled off a spectacular performance to beat NIP 2-0 in the series. Starting off on Nuke, MOUZ had a decent CT-side, taking the lead at 9-6 in the first half. NIP tried to fight back, but MOUZ were just slightly better, squeezing out the victory at 16-12.
Inferno was a much more dominant game for MOUZ. NIP were left scrambling for answers, as they could only pull back 4 rounds in the first half. Things did not improve in the second half, as MOUZ closed out the map 16-7.
MOUZ are the first team to qualify for the Group Stage of IEM Cologne 2023.
Fnatic vs 9INE:
Fnatic snatched the second spot of the Group Stages, as they beat 9INE 2-0 in the series. Starting off on Ancient yet once again, Fnatic had a strong T-side. The Swedish outfit managed to end the first half 10-5. But 9INE did try to fight back in the second half. But Fnatic proved too much to handle, as they closed out the map. They won 16-12 off the back of a 4 round win streak.
Vertigo started off much more evenly, with both teams managing to build momentum in the first half. Fnatic managed to get the lead at 8-7 in the half. But 9INE were not able to replicate this performance in the second half. Fnatic showed off a strong T-side, and took the map 16-10.
Fnatic are the second team to qualify to the Group Stage of IEM Cologne 2023.
Up Ahead:
Apeks will play Astralis, and Monte will take on Furia in the Upper Bracket Round 2 to decide who will get the remaining two spots from the Upper Bracket.
Image Source: ESLMeanwhile, the losing teams will have to fight it out in the Lower Bracket for a chance to survive in the competition.
Image Source: ESL