BOSS eliminated, Liquid to grand finals in IEM Chengdu Closed Qualifier Day 1
It's the new year and NA CS is as fast paced as ever. The day after rounding out the Closed Qualifier list, Wildcard immediately faced M80 in the opening round. On the other side, Liquid faced BOSS in their opening match, setting up the elimination match for the four-team qualifier.
In a shocking turn of events, Wildcard managed to completely upset M80 out of the blue. On the first map, M80 crushed Wildcard's pick of Nuke, making the whole affair look like a done deal. However, strong performances from the rifling core of Wildcard struck back on M80's pick of Ancient and battered down the doors on Anubis to complete the reverse sweep.
Elsewhere, Liquid trounced BOSS, dominating the only orgless team in the Closed Qualifier with a score of 13-5 on two maps. It wasn't close, but you really can't ask for more from BOSS against a team comprising of three combined Intel Grand Slams and a Major.
Those two results set up the elimination match and the upper bracket final. BOSS once again had to face insurmountable odds, this time against M80. It was an absolute field day for Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa as he finished with a 1.63 rating over the 13-7, 13-8 affair. With that, we bid BOSS adieu from the Closed Qualifier, but still respect the run the unrepresented team took to make it here, after all.
Liquid and Wildcard then duked it out in the upper final, the winner taking a spot in the grand finals. Wildcard once again picked a map into complete and utter domination, losing Overpass, their choice, 13-3. Wildcard looked to run it back on Ancient, but it was too little too late as it was an uncharacteristic top frag performance from the Brazilian newcomer Felipe "skullz" Medeiros with a 1.59 to carry Liquid to a 13-9 victory.
With the first four matches out of the way, there remain only two to take place tonight: a rematch between M80 and Wildcard in the lower final at 05:30PM where M80 will look to take revenge, and the winner of that match against Liquid for the IEM Chengdu spot at 09:30PM.
