Liquid reach playoffs in Chicago over mousesports; LDLC eliminate North

Liquid have reached the playoffs after defeating MOUZ 2-1 (11-16 Mirage, 16-9 Inferno, 16-10 Nuke), while LDLC eliminated North 2-1 (8-16 Dust2, 16-10 Nuke, 16-10 Mirage).

The Group B upper bracket semi-final clash between Liquid and MOUZ began on Mirage, where Martin "⁠STYKO⁠" Styk secured the T pistol with a triple. mouz continued their run with the 22-year-old leading the way, as Liquid were unable to answer back until the 7th round, where Epitacio "⁠TACO⁠" de Melo & Keith "⁠NAF⁠" Markovic picked up a triple and double kill to find their first.

Liquid went on to win their second, but mouz got right back to work, hounding on Nick "⁠nitr0⁠" Cannella and his men to add four more to their lead (10-2). The North Americans managed to put one more on the board, but mouz put an end to things and picked up the remaining two rounds to secure the 12-3 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Liquid came out swinging on their T side to stamp five in a row. Although the European side picked up their 13th, the North Americans continued to spread the CTs thin, winning three in a row to make it 13-11. mouz would not go down without a fight and put together a stout defensive run to rack up three on the board, topping their map pick as 16-11 victors.

The series then moved to Inferno, Liquid's map pick, in which nitr0 & co. got off to a blooming 7-0 start as Terrorists. mouz finally put an end to Liquid's marvelous run, picking up their first and then a second of the half, before the white & blue jerseys took over to take the 12-3 lead at halftime.

The second half was a much harder task for Liquid's defense. Despite winning the pistol with a defuse, mouz rallied back on their T side, winning the next six out of seven rounds. However, they fell short in the end, as Liquid picked up the remaining two rounds to take the map, 16-9, forcing the decider.

The series came down to Nuke. Liquid wasted no time earning two on the board to kick things off, but mouz put their foot down to rack up five straight before the contest between the two sides broke out. After going back and forth, Liquid managed to lock down three on their side to even things at 6-6, but MOUZ snapped the tie and won three of their own, claiming the first half lead 9-6.

The second half was all about Liquid from the start, opening up the half with a brilliant showing on their CT side, leaving mouz no room for error, winning ten out of eleven rounds to take the map, 16-10, and series 2-1 to reach the playoffs.

The Group A lower bracket semi-final between North and LDLC began on Dust2, where the Danes opened things up with a 2-0 start. The French fired back to even the score 2-2 before earning their third, but North's defense got right back into the game, locking down three to go up 5-3.

The two sides traded rounds as LDLC claimed their fourth, but in return, Casper "⁠cadiaN⁠" Møller led his stout defense to claim six in a row, closing out the half with an 11-4 score. North continued their form into the second half with two on the board promptly, before the French put an end to the Danes' streak, winning three of their own to bring the deficit to a minimum. In the end, North kept their composure and closed the map 16-8.

The series then landed on Nuke, North's map pick, but the first half would have suggested otherwise as LDLC had the Danes' scrambling to find room on their T side. The French displayed a great defensive half, holding off the Danes for a commanding 11-2 lead, before cadiaN & co. secured the final two rounds of the half (4-11).

LDLC got off to a smooth start in the second half, winning the second pistol and the following anti-eco to go up 13-4. However, North managed to turn things around winning six out of the next seven, until the two sides contested with the French slamming the door on the Danes 16-10 to force Mirage.

North kicked off the decider with a defuse that earned the Danes the pistol, but things quickly went south as LDLC hunkered down on their T side, securing seven in a row to make it 7-1. North began to grind out a few rounds over the French, but Logan "⁠LOGAN⁠" Corti and his men were composed, locking down the first half 11-4.

The second half was a much better start for the Danes as North came out knocking to rack up four straight on their T side before LDLC retaliated. North quickly stamped two more on their comeback, but, in the end, LDLC put the nail in the coffin, sending the Danes packing as 16-10 map victors.