IEM5 WC Preview: Four Europeans

The third preview for the IEM5 World Championship we bring you close to four of the European teams in the tournament, housing some of the big favorites in the competition.

fnatic

Winning the IEM5 European Championship Finals in Kiev answered the question to how the new fnatic would do, but that does not tell us anything about how they will do in Hannover. The team is still new and has only played one official tournament together, but it may come down to other things, if they want to do well in Hannover.

	Patrik "cArn" Sättermon
	Harley "dsn" Örwall
	Marcus "Delpan" Larssone
	Richard "Xizt" Landström
	Faruk "pita" Pita

The oldies on top

Who would have thought, that the president by seniority at the tournament, fnatic in-game leader Patrik "cArn" Sättermon would be such a mad-fragger and clutcher as he proved to be in Kiev. The community was shocked to how well he played and nobody recalled when he played that great a tournament. Together with Harley "dsn" Örwall, the olden-but-golden duo played with a very high level throughout the tournament, something which clearly played a huge impact on the team ending up winning the event.

A new sheriff in town

Richard "Xizt" Landström was a true star in the final, the first final with his new team, he delivered maximum capacity and then some more. Whatever Landström did, things went right – even killing a team-mate in the pistol-round didn't stop him from clutching the round. His performance in Kiev also secured him the MVP title.

Is Landström what fnatic had in Christopher "GeT_RiGhT" Alesund previously? In his previous teams H2k and Lions, Landström played very well, especially over the Summer of 2010. Landström did however at times fall through and deliver unstable performances, but will his chance in fnatic change this? Landström can prove this in Hannover.

First match – 09:10CET March 1, vs. Lions

Key to success – On paper, fnatic usually make it far and just by looking at 2010, they ended up in the finals and even won some events in 2010. Looking at how fnatic has done after adding new members, in recent times it tells us that did great. With the European Championship Finals in their hands, all signs indicate that fnatic will go far in Hannover.

Exit scenario – A fact is that there are three Swedish teams in Group B. Playing against domestic teams always seems to be a big hurdle, for any team. Lions managed a tie with fnatic in Kiev, while fnatic are yet to play the new SK, who will be playing with a stand-in. This fact, alongside with the battles between Na´Vi and fnatic in 2010, could be a reason why fnatic will not make it further - at the same time seems unlikely.

Lions

There should be no questions that Lions have already proven they belong to the top, but why don’t they make it deep in the tournament brackets? It seems like this team is still to peak and with just one event in the bag since adding Rasmus "Gux" Ståhl, time could be just what Lions need.

	Niklas "niko" Johansson
	Björn "threat" Pers
	Rasmus "Gux" Ståhl
	Emil "FYRR73" Klasson
	Frej "kHRYSTAL" Sjöstrom

The little things in the big picture

When Lions went to Kiev, they played fabulous in the group-stage. Who would have thought they could take down Na´Vi in their own cave? It was the match against fnatic which made the different to Lions, where one round could have changed the playoff picture for the Swedes. A tie meant fnatic on top of the group and directly to the semi-final, while Lions got paired with mTw. Had Lions instead just won one single round, it would be the opposite outcome and Lions had made top 4.

The big picture lately in terms of performance is aimed at Niklas "niko" Johansson, he has been the star of the team lately, pulling a great show in Kiev, but also playing amazingly at DreamHack Winter, where the team finished third.

Unable to pass mTw

In a interview Björn "threat" Pers recently said they simply could not beat mTw and simply didn’t know why. Pers knows what he's talking about, as mTw stopped Lions in Kiev, but also twice last year at DreamHack Winter. A nemesis can be a hard nut to crack and especially if you don't know what you have to do to succeed. A fact that Lions is not in group with mTw, could be a good reason to why they can pass this group.

First match – 09:10CET March 1, vs. fnatic

Key to success – A win against fnatic and they have great chances of advancing. Lions won against Na´Vi in Kiev, so what should stop them from doing so again? Johansson and Ståhl in top-form and Lions can also be a very tough team to stop, so with the duo in form, Lions got another key to move through.

Exit scenario – Just like fnatic, a downside for Lions is that there are three Swedish teams in the group. It is impossible to tell how it will play out. In the playoffs, should Lions make it, they want to avoid mTw, raw numbers don’t add in their favor.

SK Gaming

SK Gaming did not have a great 2011 debut. The dreamteam as they were referred to went out in the group-stage at the IEM5 European Championship Finals, a clear disappointment to the team, the management and the fans. A chance to redeem themselves will instead be the back against the wall and a lot of pressure on the team, who attend the event with a stand-in.

	Patrik "f0rest" Lindberg
	Christopher "GeT_RiGhT" Alesund
	Robert "RobbaN" Dahlström
	Johan "face" Klasson
	Dennis "dennis" Edman

Not the world's best stand-in

In 2010, SK Gaming had the best stand-in of the world. In Hannover the Swedes have been forced to call in Dennis "dennis" Edman, who will fill in for Jimmy "allen" Allen, who is unable to play due to his sickness. Edman might be a good player, but he is no Andreas "moddii" Fridh, who SK had much use of in 2010. Without the world's best stand-in, what can SK produce in this killer group, is yet to be seen, but the stand-in effect is most likely to be a deciding factor.

In a class of his own

It is no secret that Christopher "GeT_RiGhT" Alesund is a beast on any map you play him. In his fnatic career, he at times managed to win matches single-handed. But have the gifts Alesund had in fnatic transferred with him to SK? In Kiev Alesund was on level with his teammate Patrik "f0rest" Lindberg, and despite playing just five maps, he finished with a 1.07 rating. The skills of Alesund can easily help SK a lot in this difficult group, for good reasons this mad-fragger came second in our 2010 Top 20.

First match – 09:10CET March 1, vs. redCode

Key to success – Alesund can be a key to any major city in the world, a key SK can rely greatly on in Hannover. A joker is in the hands of SK, as they did have some time to practice with Edman prior to the event. Also, what can we expect from Edman? He has been showing magnificent play previous, this could easily add up to advancement for SK, but Edman can at the same time be the card which makes the card-house collapse.

Exit scenario – Playing with a stand-in, a killer group, against two Swedish teams and the best team of 2010. A lot of things speak for SK having a hard time progressing from this group. Could an early exit in Hannover mean changes in SK, even with a stand-in? Will Allen be back after this event, despite the reports of him being too sick to play? A lot of question marks are over the heads of SK at the moment, not just about making it though their group.

Natus Vincere

Where to start about the Ukrainians from Natus Vincere - the team that came as total strangers in early 2010 and later dominated everyone and won all the major events in 2010. You have to give it to them, they did a magnificent job through 2010, and proved that if you have the will to win, you will win. Via the Kazakh Murat "Arbalet" Zhumashevich, the Ukrainian teams had all the necessary funds to get to the top of the Counter-Strike scene.

	Yegor "markeloff" Markelov
	Sergey "starix" Ischuk
	Ioann "Edward" Sukharev
	Danylo "Zeus" Teslenko
	Arsenij "Esenin" Trynozhenko

The best player of 2010

No introduction is needed for one of – if not the best – player in the Ukrainian team. Yegor "markeloff" Markelov was outstanding in 2010, and basically came from nowhere. There is aren't things Markelov did wrong in 2010, he finished 80% of his matches with at least a 1.00 rating and was also the best AWP of the year, with a total of 1,042 kills, which is 296 more than the guy in second place.

Markelov was the most consistent player throughout the year, and his statistics are speaking for themselves, alongside with the many tournaments he won with his team, adding the official as well as unofficial awards he received in 2010.

Falling through equals winning a tournament

Na´Vi did fall through in some tournaments in 2010, but this most of the times meant that they would go on to win the next event they attended. In the Summer, after winning ESWC and Arbalet Cup Dallas, Na´Vi placed third three times in a row (GameGune, IEM5 Shanghai and ASUS Summer), the next event they attended they managed to win, and what an important event it was, winning WCG in front of mTw. Then at WEM they placed fourth, but then came back with full throttle at DreamHack Winter and won the event, once again in front of mTw.

Back where it all started

Na´Vi are back where it all started in 2010. IEM4 World Championship was where it all started in terms of claiming world domination. Last year we saw Markelov playing amazingly with his AWP, while Sukharev was the king of pistol-rounds. They are back in the exact same hall where they became IEM World Champions and everyone will have an eye on them, for good reasons.

First match – 09:10CET March 1, vs. Evil Geniuses

Key to success – Na´Vi recently placed fourth at the IEM European Championship Finals, and according to what we just told you, they will be back in shape and eventually win the event – who knows? A composition of players like Na´Vi has to be a plus. An in-game leader which brought the team to all the big titles in 2010, the best AWP of 2010, and an insane duo in Sergey "starix" Ischuk and Ioann "Edward" Sukharev, what more is there to say.

Exit scenario – Na´Vi going out in the group-stage seems unlikely. Still, they are only humans after all and it is a tough group, but Na´Vi do have the best chances of advancing in this group, but not that much more compared to fnatic and Lions. If Na´Vi can have a bad day, then a bad day could be what it finally should come down to, if this team would go out in the group-stage.

The last preview, which will bring you a close look on mTw, Frag eXecutors, TCM-Gaming and Moscow Five will be up tomorrow after Group B has finalized.