EPT
Tomorrow begins the inaugural LAN finals of the ESL ESEA Pro League in Cologne, Germany. The season's top four teams from Europe will clash with the top four teams of North America for their share of the $250,000 prize pool. The event will begin with a best-of-one GSL-style group stage with a twist: the top three—not two—teams will advance to the bracket stage, with the top team of each group progressing straight to the semis.
Here we take a look at Group B. If you missed the first part of the preview for Group A, check it out here!
Here we take a look at Group B. If you missed the first part of the preview for Group A, check it out here!
GROUP B
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Souma/eslesea/fnatic1.png)
After being the first team to win two major titles, 
Fnatic became the undisputed best team in the world. With teams like Ninjas in Pyjamas, 
Team EnVyUs and 
Virtus.pro all seeing dips in their performances, the only real opposition Fnatic has are in the Danish squad 
Team SoloMid. Having lost three finals to them this year, the Danes have definitely found a weakness in Fnatic’s usually impenetrable defense. Despite that, Fnatic have still found themselves in a good place coming into this LAN, with wins at DreamHack Tours and Summer as well as the second Gfinity Spring tournament. Leading up to the major in August, Fnatic has another chance to best TSM here and continue to pave the road to complete dominance.
Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer - The King of All Trades
Back at the start of 2015 when we saw a recovered Fnatic, almost every single member could have easily been picked to be a star player in any other team, but in this Swedish powerhouse, they were all but a cog in the machine playing a part in Markus “Pronax” Wallsten’s master plan. The centerpiece of that machine is none other than olofmeister, the player able to take on any role that is needed of him and solve any problem required. A rifler, sniper and Tec-9 meister, olof can and will fulfill multiple roles in a game and be used to adapt to other teams as needed. While Freddy “KRiMZ” Johansson is renowned for his stalwart defense at the small B site, and Jesper “JW” Wecksell and Robin “flusha” Rönnquist play off one another as polar opposites, olof seeks to be the fluid rotator and a player that can deftly move into and out of position when needed.
A little over a month ago, olof was reported to be out of commission for a while, recovering from surgery on his right ear. While it was a short break, it was still worrying for some as it could have spelled doom should olof return and not find his form again. In their match against EnVyUs on May 30th in the Pro League, they got brutalized 16-5, playing with two stand-ins in Andreas “schneider” Lindberg and 
Martin “cENTRYZ” Brandal as KRiMZ was out on vacation during that time as well. However, olof made his return the week after and assuaged the fears of many as they attended DreamHack Summer and refused to drop a map against the likes of NiP and ![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Souma/CIS_flag.png)
Natus Vincere. For this LAN, the most interesting part will be the group stages as Fnatic and TSM have a chance to clash once more. Fortunately for Fnatic, a loss here won’t mean much as they are more than capable of beating the other two teams in their group—:br: Keyd Stars and 
Counter Logic Gaming—but it will cement their further frustrations against the Danish team.
Fnatic became the undisputed best team in the world. With teams like Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team EnVyUs and Virtus.pro all seeing dips in their performances, the only real opposition Fnatic has are in the Danish squad Team SoloMid. Having lost three finals to them this year, the Danes have definitely found a weakness in Fnatic’s usually impenetrable defense. Despite that, Fnatic have still found themselves in a good place coming into this LAN, with wins at DreamHack Tours and Summer as well as the second Gfinity Spring tournament. Leading up to the major in August, Fnatic has another chance to best TSM here and continue to pave the road to complete dominance. Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer - The King of All TradesBack at the start of 2015 when we saw a recovered Fnatic, almost every single member could have easily been picked to be a star player in any other team, but in this Swedish powerhouse, they were all but a cog in the machine playing a part in
Markus “Pronax” Wallsten’s master plan. The centerpiece of that machine is none other than olofmeister, the player able to take on any role that is needed of him and solve any problem required. A rifler, sniper and Tec-9 meister, olof can and will fulfill multiple roles in a game and be used to adapt to other teams as needed. While Freddy “KRiMZ” Johansson is renowned for his stalwart defense at the small B site, and Jesper “JW” Wecksell and Robin “flusha” Rönnquist play off one another as polar opposites, olof seeks to be the fluid rotator and a player that can deftly move into and out of position when needed.A little over a month ago, olof was reported to be out of commission for a while, recovering from surgery on his right ear. While it was a short break, it was still worrying for some as it could have spelled doom should olof return and not find his form again. In their match against EnVyUs on May 30th in the Pro League, they got brutalized 16-5, playing with two stand-ins in
Andreas “schneider” Lindberg and Martin “cENTRYZ” Brandal as KRiMZ was out on vacation during that time as well. However, olof made his return the week after and assuaged the fears of many as they attended DreamHack Summer and refused to drop a map against the likes of NiP and Natus Vincere. For this LAN, the most interesting part will be the group stages as Fnatic and TSM have a chance to clash once more. Fortunately for Fnatic, a loss here won’t mean much as they are more than capable of beating the other two teams in their group—:br: Keyd Stars and Counter Logic Gaming—but it will cement their further frustrations against the Danish team. ![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Souma/eslesea/keyd2.png)
Since the explosive debut of 
KaBuM e-Sports at the start of the year during the MLG X Games Aspen Invitational and Keyd Stars' top eight finish at ESL One Katowice, the Brazilian team earned another chance to shine by grabbing a spot in the first rendition of the ESL ESEA Pro League. They certainly haven’t let that chance go to waste as they dedicated themselves to the online league, moving over to the United States for a short period of time with the goal of topping the online stage and clinching a spot in the offline LAN finals. While they had a great start to the league going 5-0, they hit a few bumps in the road and allowed Cloud9 to grab the top seed going into the LAN. Nevertheless, Keyd has proven that they were worth the invite and have established themselves as a top American team, despite many believing otherwise.
Fernando "fer" Alvarenga - The Unrelenting Force
At the center of it all is Fernando “Fer” Alvarenga, the star player of the team. While Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo may have opened up their team’s chances with their now-renowned Mirage Terrorist side, it has been fer who has been instrumental in a number of victories in the online league, many of which were narrowly won thanks to a few clutch rounds by Alvarenga. What makes fer so crucial to Keyd Stars’ success? Some have attributed his frags to the fact that the Brazilian team structure their rounds around him, allowing him to grab key frags against flashed or out-of-position opponents. While this may be true, it is also evident that fer possesses a quality that is rare among many stars—his unrelenting aggression. fer works as both an entry fragger and a closer for Keyd, an attribute that is rare among a team's top fragger due to the nature of the entry fragging role. fer subverts these tropes in a unique way because he ends up switching between them through maps and even in the same game.
Keyd Stars come into Cologne with a deep sense of determination as they have proven at every possible chance that they are hungry for more opportunities, and that only comes with results and success. Unfortunately for them, they are in a group with arguably the top two teams in the world in Fnatic and Team SoloMid, along with their friendly rivals Counter Logic Gaming. Easily the tougher of the two groups, Keyd Stars will be hard-pressed finding success at this LAN, with the potential to upset either of the EU teams growing slimmer as they lose the element of surprise they once had. However, they should still be able to best their American counterpart CLG and make it to the bracket stage.
KaBuM e-Sports at the start of the year during the MLG X Games Aspen Invitational and Keyd Stars' top eight finish at ESL One Katowice, the Brazilian team earned another chance to shine by grabbing a spot in the first rendition of the ESL ESEA Pro League. They certainly haven’t let that chance go to waste as they dedicated themselves to the online league, moving over to the United States for a short period of time with the goal of topping the online stage and clinching a spot in the offline LAN finals. While they had a great start to the league going 5-0, they hit a few bumps in the road and allowed Cloud9 to grab the top seed going into the LAN. Nevertheless, Keyd has proven that they were worth the invite and have established themselves as a top American team, despite many believing otherwise. Fernando "fer" Alvarenga - The Unrelenting ForceAt the center of it all is Fernando “Fer” Alvarenga, the star player of the team. While
Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo may have opened up their team’s chances with their now-renowned Mirage Terrorist side, it has been fer who has been instrumental in a number of victories in the online league, many of which were narrowly won thanks to a few clutch rounds by Alvarenga. What makes fer so crucial to Keyd Stars’ success? Some have attributed his frags to the fact that the Brazilian team structure their rounds around him, allowing him to grab key frags against flashed or out-of-position opponents. While this may be true, it is also evident that fer possesses a quality that is rare among many stars—his unrelenting aggression. fer works as both an entry fragger and a closer for Keyd, an attribute that is rare among a team's top fragger due to the nature of the entry fragging role. fer subverts these tropes in a unique way because he ends up switching between them through maps and even in the same game.Keyd Stars come into Cologne with a deep sense of determination as they have proven at every possible chance that they are hungry for more opportunities, and that only comes with results and success. Unfortunately for them, they are in a group with arguably the top two teams in the world in Fnatic and Team SoloMid, along with their friendly rivals Counter Logic Gaming. Easily the tougher of the two groups, Keyd Stars will be hard-pressed finding success at this LAN, with the potential to upset either of the EU teams growing slimmer as they lose the element of surprise they once had. However, they should still be able to best their American counterpart CLG and make it to the bracket stage.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Souma/eslesea/tsm.png)
The Danish squad of Team SoloMid managed to claim the last spot above fan favorites Ninjas in Pyjamas by tying Team EnVyUs with a 16-6 record. Formerly known as and sponsored by Team Dignitas, the squad led by Finn "karrigan" Andersen has had quite the year thus far. TSM is synonymous with style and efficiency and their teamwork now rivals the best in the world. Their rise in form should be credited to Nicolai "device" Reedtz and René "cajunb" Borg consistently stepping up every match and Andreas "Xyph9x" Højsleth and Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen continuing to provide solid performances. All of their achievements and results are due to team play and hard work, but without the mastermind behind it all, the squad might have never reached this level of skill.
Finn “karrigan” Andersen - Tide Turner
If you look at the history of this team, one can pinpoint a defining moment of when things changed. The two eras can be called B.K. and A.F.: before karrigan and after FeTiSh. The inclusion of the Danish tier one player has helped push the team over the top, and they've only grown with their star leader over time. karrigan played a large role in the development of TSM's style of play with his efficient strategies. Fans see his fingerprints all over TSM's tactics: powerful mid control on Cache and Dust 2, organized spacing to help improve aim, and well-timed entry frags and smokes. His knowledge of his team's strengths allows him to maximize their efficacy whether it be in firefights, pop flash-ins or retakes. He makes sure that device can get the AWP angle needed or that canjunb and dupreeh have the space to push into bomb sites. He is the puppet master of TSM's creative attack and defense.
As mentioned before, TSM has been on quite a tear recently. They placed first at Fragbite Masters Season IV, Alienware Area 51 Cup #2, and the CS:GO Championship Series Kick-Off Season. Each tournament had heavy hitters such Fnatic, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team EnVyUs, and Virtus.pro, and each additional title has elevated the Danish squad to a new level. Although they placed fourth this season, they are expected to get through the group stage with ease. Falling into Group B with Swedish superstars Fnatic, Brazilian hopefuls Keyd Stars, and North American aim stars Counter Logic Gaming, TSM has experience against strong opponents and should come out on top regardless.
Finn "karrigan" Andersen has had quite the year thus far. TSM is synonymous with style and efficiency and their teamwork now rivals the best in the world. Their rise in form should be credited to Nicolai "device" Reedtz and René "cajunb" Borg consistently stepping up every match and Andreas "Xyph9x" Højsleth and Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen continuing to provide solid performances. All of their achievements and results are due to team play and hard work, but without the mastermind behind it all, the squad might have never reached this level of skill. Finn “karrigan” Andersen - Tide TurnerIf you look at the history of this team, one can pinpoint a defining moment of when things changed. The two eras can be called B.K. and A.F.: before karrigan and after FeTiSh. The inclusion of the Danish tier one player has helped push the team over the top, and they've only grown with their star leader over time. karrigan played a large role in the development of TSM's style of play with his efficient strategies. Fans see his fingerprints all over TSM's tactics: powerful mid control on Cache and Dust 2, organized spacing to help improve aim, and well-timed entry frags and smokes. His knowledge of his team's strengths allows him to maximize their efficacy whether it be in firefights, pop flash-ins or retakes. He makes sure that device can get the AWP angle needed or that canjunb and dupreeh have the space to push into bomb sites. He is the puppet master of TSM's creative attack and defense.
As mentioned before, TSM has been on quite a tear recently. They placed first at Fragbite Masters Season IV, Alienware Area 51 Cup #2, and the CS:GO Championship Series Kick-Off Season. Each tournament had heavy hitters such Fnatic, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team EnVyUs, and Virtus.pro, and each additional title has elevated the Danish squad to a new level. Although they placed fourth this season, they are expected to get through the group stage with ease. Falling into Group B with Swedish superstars Fnatic, Brazilian hopefuls Keyd Stars, and North American aim stars Counter Logic Gaming, TSM has experience against strong opponents and should come out on top regardless.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Souma/eslesea/clg2.png)
Once the hope and light in the darkness of the NA scene, CLG has since shuffled out the charismatic Peter “ptr” Gurney for the veteran Josh “jdm64” Marzano, who fans of the roster will know from his time with the team when they were NetcodeGuides and mouseSpaz. While ptr has also made it to the offline finals under Luminosity Gaming, it seems their choice to replace him wasn’t a bad one as CLG narrowly got through to the top four as well, edging out Team Liquid and Nihilum Gaming. Though they may no longer be the American darling many hoped they were going to be near the start of the year, CLG has still shown they have staying power, and with the addition of the new team house they are prepared to continue to improve upon their results.
Tarik "tarik" Celik - The Gatekeeper
At the forefront of this team is none other than Tarik “tarik” Celik. The strong willed rookie burst onto the scene after joining up with NetcodeGuides and has since stuck with the same squad for close to a year. A personable and popular streamer on Twitch, Celik is undoubtedly the star player for CLG and has on more than one occasion saved his team from a losing game. However, as most can deduce, it becomes increasingly difficult to have a successful team revolving around a single star player. When your entire game plan rests on his sole performance, the moment that player falters or even more tragically, simply isn’t good enough, the team comes undone. We’ve seen it before with Titan and the slump that Kenny “kennyS” Schrub went through and the changes that were needed to reform that team. Similarly, CLG is going through a transition of their own as they’ve had to adapt to their loss of ptr and regroup and relearn strategies. While jdm64 has done an admirable job in bringing a strong level of AWPing to the table, sometimes it isn’t enough to keep up with the other top NA teams. Against lesser teams in the league, CLG continue to exert their dominance which is where they excel.
What that means for CLG is that they have slowly become the gatekeeper of NA CS:GO. They are occasionally able to eke out wins against top teams like C9 or Keyd Stars while consistently dominating lower level teams thanks to their aggressive and pick-up style of play. Since their inception as NetcodeGuides, they were bullheaded and determined to show their raw power and strength, and while they have certainly proven that they are capable of that, no amount of power can compare to the European teams, and that is where CLG will ultimately falter. What is unclear though is whether or not CLG are content with their position in the scene. Treading water as a gatekeeper is a unique role in that you can maintain relevance by allowing the lower tier teams a goal to strive for, but the moment you lose too many games to younger, newer upstart teams, you risk fading into irrelevance. The question is whether or not CLG want to give up their position and attempt to claw their way up the ladder. They have their chance at this LAN as their first match is up against the world’s best: Fnatic.
Writers: Wunder, climax
Editors: lichter, Souma
Graphics: InsidiA, Souma
Peter “ptr” Gurney for the veteran Josh “jdm64” Marzano, who fans of the roster will know from his time with the team when they were NetcodeGuides and mouseSpaz. While ptr has also made it to the offline finals under Luminosity Gaming, it seems their choice to replace him wasn’t a bad one as CLG narrowly got through to the top four as well, edging out Team Liquid and Nihilum Gaming. Though they may no longer be the American darling many hoped they were going to be near the start of the year, CLG has still shown they have staying power, and with the addition of the new team house they are prepared to continue to improve upon their results. Tarik "tarik" Celik - The GatekeeperAt the forefront of this team is none other than
Tarik “tarik” Celik. The strong willed rookie burst onto the scene after joining up with NetcodeGuides and has since stuck with the same squad for close to a year. A personable and popular streamer on Twitch, Celik is undoubtedly the star player for CLG and has on more than one occasion saved his team from a losing game. However, as most can deduce, it becomes increasingly difficult to have a successful team revolving around a single star player. When your entire game plan rests on his sole performance, the moment that player falters or even more tragically, simply isn’t good enough, the team comes undone. We’ve seen it before with Titan and the slump that Kenny “kennyS” Schrub went through and the changes that were needed to reform that team. Similarly, CLG is going through a transition of their own as they’ve had to adapt to their loss of ptr and regroup and relearn strategies. While jdm64 has done an admirable job in bringing a strong level of AWPing to the table, sometimes it isn’t enough to keep up with the other top NA teams. Against lesser teams in the league, CLG continue to exert their dominance which is where they excel.What that means for CLG is that they have slowly become the gatekeeper of NA CS:GO. They are occasionally able to eke out wins against top teams like C9 or Keyd Stars while consistently dominating lower level teams thanks to their aggressive and pick-up style of play. Since their inception as NetcodeGuides, they were bullheaded and determined to show their raw power and strength, and while they have certainly proven that they are capable of that, no amount of power can compare to the European teams, and that is where CLG will ultimately falter. What is unclear though is whether or not CLG are content with their position in the scene. Treading water as a gatekeeper is a unique role in that you can maintain relevance by allowing the lower tier teams a goal to strive for, but the moment you lose too many games to younger, newer upstart teams, you risk fading into irrelevance. The question is whether or not CLG want to give up their position and attempt to claw their way up the ladder. They have their chance at this LAN as their first match is up against the world’s best: Fnatic.
Writers: Wunder, climax
Editors: lichter, Souma
Graphics: InsidiA, Souma
