NRG shock MOUZ to kick off StarLadder StarSeries Fall

MOUZ. Lads. We just hyped you up as needing to win it and being big favourites to do so, and barely even mentioned NRG in the preview, and this is what you bring us?

This event is pretty much a must-win for MOUZ, who need to prove that they can start stacking trophies and be a genuine threat, and as probably the second in command at this moment in time it should be a lock for them. There's still a decent chance it is, but they'll need to be better than this.

It's no shade to NRG, who performed admirably - not least nitr0 rolling back the years on maps one and three. They earnt this win through their own hard work and came in with a game plan to beat MOUZ that worked perfectly. It's nice to see an NA team really outprep and outwork a top team instead of relying on sheer firepower.

Cache was the perfect example, where NRG were outgunned but used their pieces cleverly to find openings and catch MOUZ off-guard despite the firepower disadvantage. nitr0 didn't topfrag because he's more skilled than xelex or PR or xertioN, we can tell you that for free. In fact, NRG only won nine opening duels in this map, and yet won it in regulation. They outrotated and outpositioned MOUZ in the mid round and traded well, despite not having the firepower to win those duels.

MOUZ's pick was Inferno, and that much was obvious. NRG hadn't really planned as much for that, it seemed like, as MOUZ ran over them quickly and cleanly. Spinx and xelex just dismantled them, and it felt like MOUZ had come alive and would take the decider easily.

Alas, would this game be the first one mentioned if that were the case?

Despite xertioN's protestations otherwise, NRG destroyed MOUZ on the T side. nitr0 picked up 16 kills as NRG took eight rounds, and MOUZ only got four off the back of the Israeli holding the fort together. torzsi had a horrible half and couldn't stop a rampant NRG, who looked in total control. They stumbled a bit on their own CT side, but the damage was done and they stitched together their required five rounds to complete a memorable victory.

NAVI's freefall continued as they were soundly beaten by an Aurora team who needed the win just as badly.

The new Aurora project has yet to really take flight, and though this was a NAVI team who are just not the same team they were 6, 12 months ago, this was a win that will give them belief going forwards.

It helps that the two players at the top of the scoreboard were the newest recruits, though in truth they might want that reversed to be truly successful. That XANTARES is still struggling to be the same player he was in the full Turkish line-up might be a little concerning, but he's also getting older and isn't used to speaking English. The hope is that he will pick his level up once he's more comfortable, but the early signs are still a little troubling.

Jimpphat has really got going though, and he was once more excellent in this game. He hard-carried his team on Nuke, completely shutting down ramp any time NAVI decided to go down that route. When half the map is shut off to you, the game is quite a lot harder.

It was kyxsan's turn on Mirage, as he was the biggest contributor on the CT side, and stacked up damage like crazy on the T side, including quite an important clutch.

NAVI were in the game, but you never really felt like they were going to win it. They were just sort of, there. Half-there.

FURIA came from behind to beat MIBR in a local derby with back-to-back convincing map wins.

MIBR just about edged Inferno in round 24 with a stellar defence after going in to the half behind, but FURIA woke up to post two 13-6s and drive home the point that they are still the team to beat in Brazil.

molodoy absolutely annihilated MIBR on Nuke, but took a backseat as his teammates took over on Cache to seal quite a simple win, despite the first map wobble.

Vitality's win over magic was ominous for the rest of the teams here, as magic are no pushovers but Vitality made them look like randoms.

They swept through magic's pick of Mirage with consummate ease, as apEX and ropz combined for 45 kills, and then ZywOo decided to win Dust 2. It was just the sort of win they were doing ad nauseam when they were the best team in the world, and it must be troubling for everyone - not least MOUZ - to see it come back at this event.

We're not betting people, but if we were....