The main event for the IEM Oakland Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament has begun. With FaZe Clan and Astralis having claimed their spots in the semifinals by virtue of finishing first in their respective groups, four teams were left to battle it out for the remaining semifinal spots. SK Gaming prevailed in a close 2-1 series over G2 Esports, while Ninjas in Pyjamas swept Immortals in a quick series.
SK Gaming builds unstoppable momentum
Despite claiming the series win overall, SK certainly got off to a slow start in its quarterfinals match against G2. The teams were on Nuke for the first game, and G2 showed that it wasn't messing around one bit. The European squad got out to a 10-5 lead at halftime before winning six of the final seven rounds to claim a 16-6 Game 1 win.
But that trouncing in Game 1 paled in comparison to the performance that SK put together in Game 2 versus Train. The outcome was almost never in doubt, as SK took a 10-5 lead into the half and then shut out G2 in the second half for a 16-5 win. Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo led the way with a stellar 22/6 kills/deaths stat line and 104.8 average damage per round (ADR).
Heading into the final game of the series, it felt like SK had gotten into a bit of a rhythm and was destined to have a big game on the third map, Dust 2. And that's exactly what happened. FalleN was once again head and shoulders above the pack, putting together a brilliant start to the match. He had 14 kills before he finally died for the first time in Round 12. SK went into the half up 12-3 and then won four straight rounds in the second half to take the series. The Brazilian team is humming and will look to continue its high level of play in Sunday's semifinal match against Astralis.
A lopsided win for Ninjas in Pyjamas
The second series of the day was not nearly as exciting as the first. Before this event, Immortals had been playing extremely well of late, and were looking to make a deep run at IEM Oakland. The team was matched up against the old guard of Ninjas in Pyjamas, though, who showed the Brazilian squad who's boss. NiP proved that it doesn't matter what side or map it's on, as it put together a dominant showing in a lopsided win.
In each match of the series, NiP took a major lead into the half -- 11-4 during Game 1 and 12 -3 in Game 2 -- and never really let up. Game 1 was the closest, as Immortals did manage to grab nine wins in the 16-9 loss, but NiP absolutely closed the door on the series in Game 2, taking the map 16-4. Immortals will turn its attention back to the Esports Championship Series Season 2, where it is currently battling for a playoff spot. NiP will now move on to the semifinals to take on FaZe Clan.
It all comes down to this. The final four teams have been set, with $125,000 of the $300,000 prize pool on the line at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on Sunday. The day will start off with Astralis taking on SK before FaZe Clan will meet NiP. The winners of those matches will then head to the finals that evening to determine the victor. The action will kick off at 1:00 PM EST, and you won't want to miss this one.