DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017 - Day one recap

Day one of DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017 has concluded, determining eight teams that have superseded their opponents and eight teams that will be fighting to stay in the tournament tonight.





Game one

Astralis vs. compLexity Gaming

The first match of the day saw a commanding performance from the ELEAGUE Major champions, as they were able to pass compLexity with apparent ease on de_Nuke. The Danes kicked off on the CT side of the map, where the opponents were seldom able to bypass the defence set out. Strong holds and precise aim allowed for a 13:2 lead going into the second half for Astralis. An attempt was made to get back into the match by the Americans, however it was short lived as Astralis matched their opponent round for round, with a 3:3 second half conclusion and 16:5 map score.

Game two

OpTic Gaming vs. North

Next up were OpTic and North on de_Inferno, where we saw quite a skewed first half, followed by a slightly closer second half with the conclusive score weighing in favour of the Americans. OpTic kick off on the CT side of Inferno, where they are able to amass a solid lead through strong holds and their opponents' lack of preparation on the map. There were moments of overconfidence, where the team seemed to make silly mistakes at the expense of lost rifles and kill money for their opponents, however in the end OpTic managed to grab an 11:4 lead going into the second half. North attempted to bring themselves back into the game, securing a solid seven rounds on the CT side of Inferno, unforunately for the team this effort was insufficient, as the Americans landed the last five rounds needed to proceed to the winners bracket of group A.

Game three

Virtus.pro vs. Misfits

Virtus.pro face Misfits on de_Cobblestone, where we saw a very close match between the two teams. The Poles kicked off on the CT side, where they weren't able to show a particularly dominant performance, instead the teams went shoulder-to-shoulder in terms of round score, ultimately cutting the first half at an 8:7 lead in favour of Virtus.pro. After switching onto the T side, Virtus.pro conceded a total of five rounds to the home representatives, after which they managed to secure the eight rounds needed to be branded the first team to enter the winners bracket in group B.

Game four

Gambit Gaming vs. Fnatic

An intriguing match-up between a new-old Fnatic roster and Gambit Gaming, on the freshly added de_Inferno. Despite being a force to be reckoned with in the past on de_Inferno, the Swedes were seemingly unable to produce results even slightly reminiscent of the legendary days. The team initiated on the CT side, where they were only able to secure six rounds to Gambit's nine, placing Fnatic in quite the predicament. Having switched sides, the Swedes totally dropped the ball, as the CIS mix runs away with an incredible seven rounds on the CT side, whilst Fnatic question their performance with only two rounds to show in the second half. Gambit secure the second slot in the winners bracket of group B.

Game five

SK Gaming vs. TyLoo

Match number five saw SK Gaming face TyLoo on de_Cobblestone. A comprehensive victory on the map by SK Gaming, as the team demonstrated two dominant halves. The intial half saw the Brazilians kick off on the CT side, where they secure a large majority of the fifteen available rounds. Unable to retaliate, TyLoo secure but four rounds to SK's eleven prior to transitioning onto the second half. Having swapped sides, it didn't take long for SK to consolidate their victory, as the team proceeds to crush their opponents with a 5:1 score.

Game six

Cloud9 vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas

The closest match-up today was game six between Cloud9 and NiP on de_Overpass. The Americans kicked off on the T side of the map, where they were able to show a strong performance in the form of consistent bombsite breaches and advantageous trades. These factors allowed the team to secure a 9:6 lead before jumping onto the CT side. The Ninjas focussed up and attempted to get their minds back into the game, for the most part successfully. The Swedes were one round short of pushing the map into overtime as the Americans run away with a 5:10 score on the second half and a 16:14 map score.

Game seven

FaZe Clan vs. Renegades

FaZe Clan and Renegades content for the closest match of the game title as the European mix is able to run away with de_Mirage with but a single map lead by the end. Initially the powerhouse was incredibly commanding on the CT side, as they seemingly pummeled the Australians silly, securing an 11:4 initial half score. This did not seem to phase the Aussies, as they started slowly grinding out rounds of their own on the second half of the map. It all came down to the 30th round, which karrigan and co. were ultimately able to snatch, leading to a close 16:14 victory on the map, as well as a placement in the winners bracket of group D.

Game eight

mousesports vs. Natus Vincere

A fascinating end to the first day of DreamHack Masters: Las Vegas 2017, as mousesports showed a strong performance against Natus Vincere on de_Cobblestone. The CIS representatives kicked off on the T side, running an effective aggression against the European mix. Mousesports were unable to produce a solid defence against their opponent, allowing for a 9:6 lead in favour of Na'Vi's T side. Having switched onto the T side, mousesports were engaged and ready to go, with an extraordinary performance from long time member and soon-to-be ex-member of the team, Nikola "NiKo" Kovač. With thirty-seven frags to his name, the Bosnian player was able to single-handedly impact the match, leading the team to a 10:3 second half and hence a 16:12 victory.

With the event off to a strong start, things are looking good for the crucial second day of play. We should have more idea about who can expect to top their group or go home early by tomorrow, but it's clear ESL have all the ingredients for a cracking event in place.