The stage could not have been better set for the start of ESL One New York 2019. FaZe Clan acquired the contract of Marcelo "coldzera" David in time for him to be eligible for the event, and Evil Geniuses finalized its acquisition of the NRG Esports CS:GO roster prior to their first match. With all as it should be prior to the first day of competition, let's take a look at how Day 1 of ESL One New York played out.
It's never fun to say goodbye to a team only one day into an event, but that's the exact fate EUnited found itself faced with at the conclusion of the first day of ESL One New York. EUnited started off the day strong, matching Team Liquid blow for blow in the first game of the match on Overpass. However, up just one round at 13-12, Team Liquid decided enough was enough and turned up the heat:
Team Liquid would take the last three rounds uncontensted and secure the win on Overpass 16-12. However, Team Liquid decided to waste far less time on Mirage, winning the second map in dominant fashion to the tune of a 16-3 scoreline. EUnited wouldn't fair much better against ENCE later on in the day, who was playing for survival after losing 2-0 to G2 Esports. ENCE took the series 2-0, 16-12 and 16-10, respectively, and ended EUnited's ESL One journey just after it begun.
Team Liquid's series against EUnited was far from perfect, but was a 2-0 nonetheless. However, TL would have a bit more trouble against G2 Esports. Earlier in the day, G2 had come back twice in a row against ENCE to take its first match 2-0. However, TL started the match by continuing right where it left off with EUnited, dominating G2 16-3 on Dust 2 to jump out to a quick 1-0 lead.
TL was expected to win the series 2-0, and for good reason — map 2 was Inferno, a map Team Liquid had not lost in over three months. G2 seemed unphased by the first game and TL's dominance on Inferno, bringing TL to its knees with game point at 15-6. However, G2 was unable to close, and Team Liquid ran it back for nine consecutive rounds to force overtime.
G2 managed to regroup before OT, utilizing methodical approaches for strategically late-round bomb plants. When the dust settled, G2 Esports handed Team Liquid its first loss on Inferno since this past spring; 19-17. Team Liquid didn't take kindly to losing its Inferno streak, starting off Overpass by shutting G2 down 9-0. TL's second half of map 3 was a bit more tame, but a convincing 16-8 win secured a 2-0 day 1 and first seed in Group A for NA's CS:GO darling.
Despite a 2-0 day 1, Team Liquid has some kinks to work out going into its next matches. TL's CT side play left much to be desired, and a team with this much talent throughout its roster need not be reliant on Stewie2K as it was today. If TL want to reclaim the throne after being swept out of the quarterfinals of the 2019 Starladder Berlin Major by Astralis, it will have to put up stronger performances as a unit than what was shown today.
Here are the standings of Group A and Group B after one day of play at ESL One NY 2019:
Here are the results are the matches as they were played throughout the day:
Tomorrow's broadcast will begin at 10:30am local time with the pre-show, as it did today. The first match will be the Group B Winners match, which will feature Astralis facing off against Evil Geniuses to see who can step out of the group with two wins. Following the Group B Winners match, the Group B Elimination match will be played between OpTic Gaming and FaZe Clan, with the loser meeting the same fate as EUnited succumbed to today.
The loser of the Group B Winner's match will be followed by the Group A decider match, in which G2 Esports and ENCE will battle it out to see who joins Team Liquid in the Semifinals. Group B will then follow suit, featuring the loser of the Winner's match vs. the winner of the Elimination match. By the end of tomorrow, the final four teams of the tournament will be headed to the Semifinals, so make sure to tune into the stream at the pre-show's start so you don't miss a moment of the action.
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