This article is part of our CS:GO Recap series.
ESL One New York kicked off on Friday with the initial rounds of the Swiss-style group stage. On the whole, things went according to plan with only one major surprising development.
Na'Vi and SK Gaming Dominate
Two of the top dogs in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene made it out of Day 1 unscathed with 2-0 records. One of the teams, SK Gaming, was almost a sure lock to do so. Thanks to two wins at the last two major tournaments, the organization has resided in the upper echelons of the power rankings, and rightfully so. While the wins over OpTic Gaming (16-10) and Astralis (16-13) to start ESL One New York were closely contested, it's clear that SK Gaming is once again primed to make an impact at a major tournament. They need just one more win to advance to its third straight semifinal appearance at a major tournament.
While still dominant, Na'Vi hasn't had the same sort of success as SK Gaming as of late. It came in second to SK Gaming (then under the Luminosity Gaming banner) at MLG Columbus and then 5th-8th at ESL One Cologne. Add its 3rd-4th finish during ELEAGUE Season 1 and the roster may just have created the recipe for heartbrea. It has set out to expel those demons in this tournament, though, as evidenced by its 16-9 wins over both Team Liquid and Virtus.pro to put itself within one win of the semifinals, as well.
The Best (And Worst) of the Rest
Fresh off a win at DreamHack Bucharest, Virtus.pro entered ESL One New York on a hot streak; one that doesn't appear to be ending any time soon. Posting a 2-1 record during the first day of the Swiss-style group stage, Virtus.pro needs just one more win Saturday to punch its ticket into the semifinals. While the group did suffer a loss to Na"Vi on Day 1, this is currently a roster that could make a major run through the remaining rounds of the tournament.
Probably the biggest story of the tournament, however, was G2 Esports ending Day 1 with a 0-2 record, placing the veteran unit on the cusp of elimination. With many power rankings suggesting G2 was a top-10, if not top-5 team, it was surprising to see the group come up so short this fast. The opening round loss to loss to Astralis was pretty close in the end, with a 16-13 scoreline, but its second loss to Team Liquid was a lopsided, 16-7 tilt. G2 certainly has some work to do in order to avoid elimination on Saturday when it faces off against OpTic Gaming, who are also 0-2.
The action starts up again Saturday with the elimination match between OpTic Gaming and G2 Esports. The winner of that match will stay alive in the tournament, while the losing group will be sent off to enjoy the great city of New York. Catch that match along with the remainder of the Swiss group stages starting at 11AM EST. At the conclusion of the day, just four teams will remain for the playoff matches on Sunday.
