IEM Rio 2023IEM Rio: Day two as it happened
Get the latest live updates from the action on day two at IEM Rio.
Summary
— Check out our recap to catch up on day one
— fnatic eliminate 9z and Vitality send MIBR packing
— FURIA beat FaZe for the first time in almost two years to secure playoffs
— Ninjas in Pyjamas eliminated 9INE
— Cloud9 secured playoffs after beating OG
— Heroic kept their tournament hopes alive by seeing off TheMongolz
Heroic keep tournament hopes alive in Rio
03:07 - Nohte
Despite having to sub in coach Richard "Xizt" Landström part way through map two, Heroic have prevailed in their elimination series versus TheMongolz. The Mongolian side couldn't get much going on the Mirage decider and only remained in the fight thanks to a few key clutches from Tuvshintugs "Annihilation" Nyamdorj, but otherwise were unable to match the firepower of Heroic's individuals.
Heroic close in on eliminating TheMongolz
03:00 - Nohte
Heroic are very close to eliminating TheMongolz from IEM Rio. Garidmagnai "bLitz" Byambasuren's side secured the last round of the first half and the second pistol round of the map (making them 5/6 in pistol rounds in the series), but haven't won a round since as Heroic have moved up to a 13-6 lead.
Clutches from Annihilation keep TheMongolz competitive
02:47 - Nohte
Heroic are leading on the Mirage decider, but they've been prevented from running away with anything thanks to a pair of clutches from Annihilation. The Danes have René "TeSeS" Madsen and Martin "stavn" Lund to thank for keeping them in it, and they lead 9-4 towards the end of their CT effort.
TheMongolz keep themselves alive
02:11 - Nohte
We're headed to Mirage! TheMongolz managed to win six rounds straight to steal victory from Heroic's grasp, two lurk rounds from Sodbayar "Techno" Munkhbold turning the tides in his team's favor to help them close things out. Are Heroic really about to go out in the group stage?
It's a tie game at 13-13
02:02 - Nohte
A pistol victory following the side swap meant that TheMongolz could close the gap, and they managed to briefly take the lead at 10-9 after Techno banged out two Heroic members with his Deagle.
An MP9 quad kill from Xizt in the ensuing round gave Heroic a window back into the game, and they pushed up to a 13-10 lead off the back of it. However, TheMongolz are on the comeback trail and have won three rounds straight to tie up the game.
nafany: "Even if we won, it's still sad"
01:45 - Striker
Cloud9's in-game leader took some time to answer the panel's questions on the analyst desk after the match and understandably spoke a lot about the team's mindset after failing to qualify for the Major.
"Terrible, actually," Vladislav "nafany" Gorshkov said when asked how he feels after beating OG. "Even if we won, it's still sad because we lost a chance to compete at the Major, and for everyone who lost the chance to compete at the Major, everyone must understand this feeling. Even if we win this tournament, I think we will still not be happy."
Cloud9 edge out OG
01:37 - Striker
Another tough loss for OG. They took it to all 30 rounds again but faltered at the last hurdle with a call that played straight into Dmitry "sh1ro" Sokolov's hands, as he got a solo triple from bathrooms to end the game.
Who needs jabbi when you have stavn hitting shots like this
01:31 - Nohte
Heroic have remained ahead with Xizt in tow, dropping two rounds and ensuring they will head into the break with the lead (8-6).
1v2s from flameZ and NEOFRAG put OG in control
01:18 - Striker
Cloud9 were in control early in the second half, but the game is going down to the wire again after Shahar "flameZ" Shushan and Adam "NEOFRAG" Zouhar saved hairy situations with consecutive 1v2 clutches. OG now take the lead 12-11.
Xizt steps in for jabbi mid-series
01:15 - Nohte
We're in a tech pause as Heroic pull ahead after 4-0 start from TheMongolz
01:02 - Nohte
A four-round spree from TheMongolz offered them an early boon on Overpass, but that is all they have to their name as Heroic have began to bully them on the attack to take the lead.
A tech pause is now underway and brought an abrupt stop to Heroic's streak, so maybe TheMongolz can bounce back once play resumes.
Spoke too soon
00:53 - Striker
And just like that, OG have come back into contention for the second map. They have shut down Cloud9 every step of the way in the past seven rounds and take the lead of the game.
Cloud9 are running away with Overpass
00:40 - Striker
Timur "buster" Tulepov has three kills, but two of them came in 1v1 clutches. Cloud9 are up 6-0 on the Terrorist side of Overpass, once again dealing OG some tough losses in advantageous scenarios.
Show no mercy
00:31 - Nohte
Not even a chance. Heroic took no hostages and gave TheMongolz no window back into the map, and all of their individuals were firing on all cylinders to net a 16-4 win. TeSeS ended the map as the highest-rated player with a 1.71 rating (20-9 K-D, 111.3 ADR) with stavn and Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard not far behind.
We're headed to Heroic's pick of Overpass as TheMongolz look to stave off elimination.
mezii: "Sometimes I struggle with micromanaging and stuff because I am focused on my game"
00:18 - Nohte
"Since the start, I think I've learned way more [about IGLing] and can definitely see the improvements, it's just that with the individuals that we have and the loose, free style that we play, I need to make sure I am reigned in. Sometimes I struggle with micromanaging and stuff because I am focused on my game as well, and that's something I am working on. Some games it's good and some others are bad, It's about finding consistency there."
Heroic show dominance on Inferno
00:18 - Nohte
Heroic are showing dominance vs. TheMongolz and already have one eye on their upcoming pick of Overpass as they lead 12-3 at the half.
Cloud9 turn the map with a forcebuy win
00:14 - Striker
OG will be pulling their hair at the way they let the game slip. They had it in the bag until Cloud9 put together a desperate forcebuy when down 12-14 and sh1ro and buster turned another unlikely situation around in their favor. Sergey "Ax1Le" Rykhtorov had been quiet for most of the map, but stepped up in the last round with a triple and 1v1 clutch to close it 16-14.
TheMongolz make some inroads, but Heroic are in control
00:09 - Nohte
TheMongolz took an early lead on Inferno with a swift attack of the A bombsite, but ran right into a stack from Heroic on the same site the following round. The Danes have run away with the lead since then, although they did drop a 5vs2 advantage that Casper "cadiaN" Møller helped them gain with a saved AWP — right now, it doesn't look like that will come back to haunt them as they lead, 10-3.
It's Heroic vs. TheMongolz for elimination
23:47 - Nohte
The No. 3-ranked team in the world are fighting for their tournament lives after being cast down to the lower bracket by BIG. They enter the elimination series versus TheMongolz as heavy favorites, but the Mongolian squad aren't ones to be counted out as they continue to perform following the addition of Chinguun "hasteka" Bayarmaa.
Take a look at the veto for the series:
1. TheMongolz removed Vertigo
2. Heroic removed Anubis
3. TheMongolz picked Inferno
4. Heroic picked Overpass
5. TheMongolz removed Ancient
6. Heroic removed Nuke
7. Mirage was left over
Cloud9 end the half with six but are lucky to have that
23:39 - Striker
That was a great half from OG spearheaded by Abdul "degster" Gasanov. The top-fraggers from Cloud9's previous match, Ax1Le and Abay "HObbit" Khassenov, are struggling with just nine kills between them. The Russian team is lucky to get away with six with those two 2v4 wins and the last round going their way mainly because of some unlucky timings from OG.
OG prevent another 4v2 attempt from Cloud9
23:30 - Striker
That could have been another round stolen away, but Maciej "F1KU" Miklas's flank saves it and OG use it to retake the lead.
NIP clinch victory to eliminate 9INE
23:23 - King Dempz
Ninjas in Pyjamas get the job done on Overpass 16-12 to clinch the series 2-1. Perhaps if 9INE had more leeway they could have completed the comeback, but their CT side was just too poor.
9INE’s IEM Rio run comes to an end, and it was entirely due to their capitulation on Mirage. They were 15-8 to the good at one point and lost in overtime, but Ninjas in Pyjamas can take immense credit for the way they adjusted on Mirage, completely reworking their mid-round approach to great success.
Ninjas in Pyjamas will await the winner of Heroic versus TheMongolz in the lower bracket final.
OG ahead but drop two 4v2s
23:18 - Striker
Mirage has started out with OG getting off to the better start thanks to triples from degster in the pistol and the first gunround, but they have also given away a couple of 4v2 situations to buster and sh1ro. It's 4-2 now.
NIP close in on victory
23:11 - King Dempz
Winning the pistol was an absolute MUST for 9INE and they got the job done in chaotic fashion, recovering from what seemed a round-ending flank by Ludvig "Brollan" Brolin.
The Poles then set about building their comeback, breaking the Ninjas in Pyjamas economy after the Ninjas had won their first gun round to get the score to 8-13.
Rounds have just been traded to put the score at 14-9, but traded rounds aren’t good enough for 9INE. It seems Ninjas in Pyjamas will clinch this eventually.
Cloud9 vs. OG for a playoffs spot kicks off
23:02 - Striker
The veto is in and there are no surprises there — it's the exact same as the last time the two teams faced each other in the IEM Dallas closed qualifier. In that previous match, Cloud9 won Mirage 16-14 and Overpass 16-7, so OG are looking for some revenge here.
1. OG removed Vertigo
2. Cloud9 removed Nuke
3. OG picked Mirage
4. Cloud9 picked Overpass
5. OG removed Anubis
6. Cloud9 removed Inferno
7. Ancient was left over
NIP cruise to 12-3 half win on offense
22:55 - King Dempz
The domination continued for the rest of the half, 9INE were simply not equipped to deal with the level that Ninjas in Pyjamas brought on offense. There isn’t much to talk about as the Poles were so thoroughly outclassed.
Time for the second half, and it is a mountain 9INE will have to climb as they move on to the Terrorist side. Can they do it?
NIP comfortable on Overpass T side
22:51 - King Dempz
Ninjas in Pyjamas are incredibly comfortable early on their T side. They won the pistol and it has been mostly smooth sailing since, taking map control with ease and playing between the two sites.
Olek "hades" Miskiewicz did get aggressive with his AWP in middle and it earned 9INE their first defensive round, but Ninjas in Pyjamas answered straight back, 6-1 is the score.
9INE need to figure their defense out, and quick.
Overpass to decide elimination between NIP and 9INE
22:13 - King Dempz
9INE may well come to regret their complete capitulation on Mirage, as they have lost their last three Overpass games, with two of those coming against BIG and fnatic. Virtually all of their wins on it are against tier two opponents, understandably, but recently they have tested it against top 20 sides and lost.
Ninjas in Pyjamas on the other hand? Well it’s not exactly their home map, but they have won three of their last four Overpass matchups, against OG, fnatic and Cloud9.
The signs are good for the Ninjas, on the surface at least, and the momentum is with them.
NIP complete miraculous comeback to win Mirage in OT
21:59 - King Dempz
The game took on a completely different complexion towards the end of regulation, and that continued into overtime. Ninjas in Pyjamas swept OT with four rounds to take victory, which means they won 11 rounds in a row to go from 8-15 to 19-15.
Outrageous stuff from the Ninjas, how will the Poles react to crumbling so badly? Overpass is up next.
9INE get to 15 before NIP come back and force overtime
21:49 - King Dempz
9INE completely outplay Ninjas in Pyjamas in the mid-round of their offensive pistol, and the alarm bells should be ringing now for the Ninjas. Fortunately for Ninjas in Pyjamas some ramp aggression on their force-buy pays dividends, breaking 9INE’s economy and giving them a lifeline in this match.
When they get guns back up, 9INE overwhelm the B bombsite with a rush to put Ninjas in Pyjamas immediately back under pressure.
The Ninjas allow 9INE to get to 15, but then suddenly find the right formula, particularly in mid-round scenarios, and somehow drag the map into overtime. Fredrik "REZ" Sterner and Daniil "headtr1ck" Valitov deserve immense credit for the impact they had in getting this done.
It was 8-15 at one point!
FURIA are in saffee hands, qualify for IEM Rio playoffs
21:47 - Nohte
FURIA have won their first match against FaZe in 662 days, denying the European side a comeback at the end of Nuke thanks to a heroic quad kill from Rafael "saffee" Costa. The Brazilian team have guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoffs of IEM Rio and will play in front of their home crowd at the Jeunesse Arena, with a game against the winner of OG vs. Cloud9 determining whether they start their run from the opening round of the bracket or the semi-finals.
Well, FaZe did even the score...
21:36 - Nohte
...but it's been all FURIA since then. Yuri "yuurih" Santos grabbed a triple kill to give his side their 12th, and a secondary AWP from Andrei "arT" Piovezan kept FURIA in control as they now close in on victory, 14-12.
You can't fumble those FURIA
21:27 - Nohte
Man, it looked so good for FURIA. Even though they lost the pistol and ensuing eco to FaZe, a triple kill from arT seemed set to put them in control as FaZe were left on pistols. Alas, the must-win, easy round was one that the Brazilian side squandered, a Zues kill from Helvijs "broky" Saukants kicking off a frantic round that ended in a 1v1 going in favor of FaZe. Finn "karrigan" Andersen's side have now hit double digits and look set to even the score, 11-10.
9INE in control
21:16 - King Dempz
Once the half settled into a normal rhythm, 9INE were by far the better side. Ninjas in Pyjamas struggled to crack open rounds, and 9INE always seemed to have the right play to grab information on their defense.
11-4 for 9INE, and Ninjas in Pyjamas are now in serious danger of an 0-2 elimination.
Another 10-5 lead for FURIA at halftime
21:14 - Nohte
FaZe strung together two clean rounds near the end of the half to move up to five rounds, but couldn't keep that pressure up as FURIA snagged the last two of the half for a 10-5 lead heading into their T side.
The Brazilian team are infamous for missing smoke walls in yard and struggling to consistently find answers on the attack, so their five-round buffer will likely come in handy as they look to close out the match in two maps.
9INE take lead over NIP in scrappy game
21:07 - King Dempz
When they final get guns up, 9INE take their first round thanks to a hades triple with the AWP. Things get spicy in the following but 9INE somehow make a 2v4 retake on A work, closing it out with a ninja defuse.
9INE never got their economy settled, and so a Ninjas force-buy win puts them onto Deagles. Of course the Poles make their Deagles sing and steal the round away, and they repel the following Ninjas in Pyjamas force.
This gives 9INE control and they start to build a lead, the score is currently 7-4.
FaZe are getting stomped
21:03 - Nohte
FaZe, what's going on? FURIA are quickly running away with Nuke as well, holding karrigan's side to just three rounds near the start of the half. Since then it's just been the Brazilian side in control, with FaZe struggling to gain entry into bombsites ever since Kaike "KSCERATO" Cerato denied Håvard "rain" Nygaard a 1vs4 clutch. Only now did the European combine net their fourth, but arT's men have already ensured they will lead at the half, 8-4.
Will FURIA secure a spot at the Jeunesse Arena with a 2-0 over FaZe?
NIP draw first blood on Mirage
20:52 - King Dempz
Ninjas in Pyjamas draw first blood on Mirage taking their T pistol, and they convert against a force-buy, but only just. This forces the Poles onto an eco and Ninjas in Pyjamas go 3-0 up.
A strong start is just what the Ninjas needed.
A 2vs5 from arT and drop to kick things off
20:46 - Nohte
Nuke is already a much more scrappy affair, but FURIA are still the ones in the lead after recovering a 2vs5 situation in the pistol round and then converting a 1vs1 against FaZe's ensuing force-buy. A double entry from rain got FaZe their first round, and FURIA's economy is now on the ropes.
9INE seal comfortable win on Vertigo
20:30 - King Dempz
A chaotic pistol round goes the way of Ninjas in Pyjamas and 9INE opt for a full-eco. The Poles immediately answer when guns come up, retaking the lead, and they never look back. Ninjas in Pyjamas simply can’t find the answers.
The score ends 16-9 for 9INE, but it could have been an even cleaner win were it not for some individual moments of brilliance from headtr1ck.
Mirage, the pick of Ninjas in Pyjamas, is up next.
FURIA close out Mirage in dominant fashion
20:27 - Nohte
A strong team performance from FURIA left FaZe no window to get back into Mirage, with the European combine only adding three rounds to their tally before the Brazilian side closed things out, 16-8.
NIP claw their way back against 9INE
20:11 - King Dempz
After getting battered all half, Ninjas in Pyjamas somehow recovered a 3v5 to put a second round on the board. 9INE immediately called a timeout, clearly unhappy with how they threw that one, but it did nothing for them and Ninjas in Pyjamas continued to claw rounds back.
A cute maneuver from Kamil "KEi" Pietkun at ramp netted 9INE a half-buy win and stopped the rot, only for some heroics from headtr1ck to grab one back. The half eventually ended 8-7 in 9INE's favor, but considering how the half started it could easily have been more.
It's a 1vs2 from Twistzz to finish the half
20:10 - Nohte
FURIA may have established a 10-2 lead, but they'll be disappointed after being unable to close out two advantageous rounds toward the end of the half. FaZe have given themselves a lifeline by securing the last three to close the gap to 10-5 heading into their T side.
FURIA in cruise control
19:59 - Nohte
The Brazilian side took control of their Mirage pick at the onset of the series versus FaZe and haven't let up since — two isolated round wins are all that karrigan's men have to their name, and FURIA have continued to bully their opponents with opening kills and strong ends to rounds to go up 10-2.
9INE run out to convincing lead on Vertigo
19:53 - King Dempz
Some suspect whiffs from Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen on a flank grant 9INE a pistol win to kick off their T side. The Poles duly convert for a 3-0 lead.
9INE continue to impress on offense, pulling Ninjas in Pyjamas around the map and then slotting lurkers into the gaps with ease, or executing with clean entry work. Ninjas in Pyjamas did try a double-AWP setup to answer, but some missed shots from Kristian "k0nfig" Wienecke on B saw it fall flat.
headtr1ck comes up with a 1v2 clutch on a half-buy to give Ninjas in Pyjamas their first round, but 9INE up the pace and hit ramp hard early to answer back. The Poles are in full control at 7-1.
FaZe take on FURIA, NIP face off against 9INE
19:29 - King Dempz
Two more series are soon to start, an elimination bout between 9INE and Ninjas in Pyjamas and a qualification match between FaZe and FURIA.
FURIA are the last South American representatives in the competition, and they will be hoping to book their spot in the Jeunesse Arena at the first time of asking. FaZe represent incredibly stiff competition, and the Europeans were in fine form in their opening match.
9INE are the team everyone is talking about at the moment following their swift rise in 2023. Ninjas in Pyjamas on the other hand have struggled badly this year, but have looked a little more competitive in recent matches.
| Date | Matches | |
|---|---|---|
| IEM Rio 2023 | ||
| 18/04/2023 |
0:2
|
Match |
| 18/04/2023 |
2:1
|
Match |
fnatic get Ancient victory over the line; eliminate 9z from IEM Rio
19:05 - GSTK
9z's comeback ends in heart-breaking fashion, as fnatic find the two rounds they needed to close out Ancient, 16-12, and the series, 2-1.
Consequently, 9z head home from IEM Rio in 13-16th place, suffering their first loss of the tournament to FaZe (3-16) before having their run cut short by fnatic (1-2).
fnatic, meanwhile, now look ahead to their next lower bracket matchup in Brazil, which will be versus the winner of the series between Cloud9 and OG on Wednesday at 16:00 .
The team around William "mezii" Merriman will undoubtedly need to go back to the drawing board for their T-side on Nuke, where the European roster dropped 10 rounds in a row to gift 9z a 16-9 win and a leg-up in the series. Outside of that, fnatic were firmly in the driver's seat in the series, closing out a dominant Overass (16-3) before wrapping up the series on Ancient (16-12), despite a late-map resurgence from 9z.
  9z |
K - D | +/- | ADR | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 - 54 | -1 | 78.5 | 1.05 | |
| 49 - 53 | -4 | 71.2 | 0.96 | |
| 42 - 53 | -11 | 70.8 | 0.91 | |
| 41 - 50 | -9 | 62.5 | 0.83 | |
| 33 - 58 | -25 | 59.0 | 0.74 |
 fnatic |
K - D | +/- | ADR | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 - 41 | +26 | 98.0 | 1.45 | |
| 58 - 41 | +17 | 82.1 | 1.28 | |
| 53 - 37 | +16 | 69.3 | 1.18 | |
| 43 - 53 | -10 | 79.2 | 1.06 | |
| 46 - 48 | -2 | 71.3 | 1.04 |
9z comeback gains steam
18:53 - GSTK
Just as fnatic looked poised to close things out, 9z started to chain rounds together. The South American roster have now made their way to double digits, even in the face of some scary moments:
9z aren't out for the count just yet; it's crunch time, 10-14.
fnatic prevail in force-buy wars to inch closer to victory
18:46 - GSTK
9z picked up the first two rounds of the second half to put their sixth on the board, but fnatic refused to respect their foes and forced at every opportunity.
This economic gamble, which fnatic even discussed over a timeout in round 17, paid off; Freddy "KRIMZ" Johansson clutched a 1vs1 to empty 9z's coffers and pave the way for the European mix to march forward.
It's 14-6 for fnatic now. Two rounds separate 9z from elimination at IEM Rio.
fnatic remain in driver's seat, up 11-4 at halftime
18:36 - GSTK
fnatic are clearly confident in the server now, hitting their shots, pulling off retakes, and taking swathes of map control round after round to head into the break with an 11-4 advantage to their name. fnatic just need to stay composed and take care of business.
It's also a team effort for fnatic; nobody is lighting up the server with a world-class performance. All five individuals have added 10+ kills to their tally, and it's in-game leader mezii leading by example with 15 kills.
This less-than-ideal T-side scoreline puts 9z five rounds away from elimination at IEM Rio, and things are beginning to look dire for the South American ensemble.
fnatic ahead by three to start Ancient
18:24 - GSTK
fnatic are up 6-3 to get Ancient, the series-deciding map, underway.
A three-round spree went 9z way to get the map going, but fnatic have since taken control of the game since thanks to Fredrik "roeJ" Jørgensen and Dion "FASHR" Derksen, who have combined for 19 kills.
9z's economy is looking worse for wear now, and the South American lineup will need to dig deep if they are to stave off elimination from Rio.
Vitality clear the first round of the lower bracket
18:23 - LucasAM
Vitality have secured a spot in the second round of the lower bracket with a 2-0 victory over MIBR. They started the series by stealing the Brazilian side’s map pick of Anubis, defending six rounds in the first half and then winning ten of twelve on the attack as Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut downed 30 in the 16-11 victory.
The international squad then had full wind in their sails going into Nuke, where an early T side lead kept MIBR constantly up against the ropes. The half ended up being one-sided showing in Vitality’s favor, 12-3.
Jumping into the CT side, Dan "apEX" Madesclaire and company were quick to hit match point, and although the French in-game leader blundered the chance to close it out at 15-4 after stalking Raphael "exit" Lacerda from behind in a 1vs1 on the A site, it didn’t take long for the favorites to seal the deal, 16-8.
 Vitality |
K - D | +/- | ADR | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 - 22 | +30 | 90.5 | 1.61 | |
| 39 - 27 | +12 | 83.4 | 1.37 | |
| 39 - 25 | +14 | 83.4 | 1.31 | |
| 31 - 25 | +6 | 70.5 | 1.21 | |
| 24 - 30 | -6 | 68.5 | 1.00 |
  MIBR |
K - D | +/- | ADR | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 - 33 | 0 | 62.4 | 0.93 | |
| 28 - 35 | -7 | 70.5 | 0.89 | |
| 22 - 34 | -12 | 49.1 | 0.72 | |
| 25 - 42 | -17 | 66.0 | 0.71 | |
| 20 - 42 | -22 | 59.2 | 0.64 |
fnatic trounce 9z to force Ancient decider
17:57 - GSTK
fnatic never took their foot off the gas after the break, cruising to a series-equalizing 16-3 victory on Overpass, conceding just three deaths over the course of the four-round second half.
The domination was so brutal that Santino "try" Rigal's 0.79-rated performance was the best 9z could muster on Overpass. It's certainly a map to forget for the South Americans as we head into Ancient, where 9z will look to rebound and close out the series after initially starting strong.
9z's performance on Overpass was:
| 9z |
K - D | +/- | ADR | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 - 16 | -3 | 76.1 | 0.79 | |
| 10 - 15 | -5 | 42.2 | 0.57 | |
| 7 - 18 | -11 | 55.9 | 0.46 | |
| 7 - 18 | -11 | 45.7 | 0.36 | |
| 3 - 16 | -13 | 49.6 | 0.35 |
Vitality close to knocking out MIBR
16:52 - LucasAM
Vitality put forth a team effort on the attacking side of their map pick, Nuke, to take a 12-3 lead at the half. This puts MIBR up against the ropes, as the Brazilians lost their Anubis map pick and are now on the verge of elimination.
apEX's men are now expected to go through on the favored side of their pick to secure a second-round lower bracket berth in a long quest to salvage a playoff run in Rio.
fnatic post flawless pistol round to inch closer to Ancient decider
17:50 - GSTK
fnatic ended their T-side campaign with a healthy nine-round buffer; Nico "nicoodoz" Tamjidi even knifed Franco "dgt" Garcia in the 15th — an accurate representation of how the half went for 9z.
The side around mezii then posted a flawless CT-side pistol round — thanks to a KRIMZ triple kill — to get a hand on 13 rounds and be within touching distance of forcing a three-map series.
9z look completely out of their depth, and time is running out to leave their mark on Overpass. 14-3 in fnatic's favor.
fnatic ensure confident first-half victory on Overpass
17:38 - GSTK
fnatic have finally started to string rounds together after a scrappy start to Overpass.
The European side are now confirmed to head into their CT-side campaign with a comfortable lead, sitting on 10 rounds compared to 9z's three, with KRIMZ currently leading the way with 14 kills to his name.
It's also a poor start for 9z's individuals. Every player apart from try (11-10) is currently boasting a negative K-D differential, and it's looking likely that a third map will be required to separate the two teams.
Vitality take early lead on Nuke
17:36 - LucasAM
Vitality are off to a dream start on Nuke as they won the attacking pistol round. The Danish duo, Emil "Magisk" Reif and Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen, downed two each to propel their side to a 3-0 lead. MIBR hit back in the first gun round, but were unable to follow up and are quickly finding themselves in quicksand.
fnatic launch series-equalizing bid as Overpass gets started
17:23 - GSTK
Overpass, the second map of the elimination series between fnatic and 9z has begun, with fnatic narrowly ahead 4-2 to get things going. The European roster's win in round five, courtesy of a 1vs3 clutch from nicoodoz, is particularly important as they have now taken firm control of the economy moving forward.
Maximiliano "max" Gonzalez, who was the team leader on Nuke, is having a lackluster start to Overpass thus far. The Uruguayan currently sits bottom of the scoreboard with an 0-5 start; it's imperative he wakes up if 9z are to close the series out, 2-0.
It's crucial to remember that fnatic's tournament life rests on the side winning Overpass and forcing an Ancient decider, or else the No. 12-ranked side will bow out of IEM Rio in 13-16th place.
ZywOo 30 bombs as Vitality steal Anubis
17:10 - LucasAM
Vitality have dealt a blow to MIBR as they stole the Brazilian squad’s Anubis map pick. The apEX-led squad chose to start on the harder CT side, where they got six rounds, before hopping onto the attack and cruising past their foes by winning 10 out of 12 rounds played. Vitality’s star AWPer, ZywOo, was the standout player for his team, dropping 30 in the 16-11 victory.
The series is now heading over to Nuke, Vitality's pick, where the international side will try to end the series early and avoid going to Vertigo for the decider.
9z convert Nuke pick with flawless CT-side; send series to Overpass
16:58 - GSTK
It's CT-side dominance on Nuke. 9z, who headed into their defensive campaign with a 6-9 deficit, won 10 rounds straight to convert their Nuke pick with confidence, 16-9, and round out a flawless CT-side.
fnatic exhausted all of their tactical timeouts by round 23, but even Jamie "keita" Hall's four 30-second inputs did naught to stop 9z from completing their onslaught.
The elimination series now makes its way to Overpass for fnatic's map choice. The Germany-based battleground has consistently been the European ensemble's best map, with mezii's men sporting a 71% win rate over 14 outings in the past three months. The Briton-led squad will need to make their veto count if they're to equalize the series and prevent an 0-2 blowout at the hands of 9z.
Vitality regain the lead on the attack
16:56 - LucasAM
Vitality, who put MIBR in their sights with a 6-9 CT side, have caught up with the Brazilians and look par for the course to now run away with the map after a successful pistol round. Now leading on the T side, ZywOo is showing no signs of slowing down as he nears the 30 bomb, sporting a 26-8 score as his team goes up 12-9.
9z take the lead on the CT-side
16:44 - GSTK
9z have hit their stride once on the defensive side, picking up their second pistol round of the map before cruising to double digits to take the lead by two, 11-9.
No one player is doing the bulk of the heavy lifting for the South Americans. dgt, David "dav1deuS" Tapia Maldonado, and max have all put triple kills on the scoreboard in the first few rounds of the half.
The match, which was once 7-3 in fnatic's favor, is starting to heat up and it's anyone's game now.
Vitality deny MIBR double digits at the half
16:42 - LucasAM
Vitality, down 4-9, won the final two rounds of their CT half following a tactical pause from Danny "zonic" Sørensen. Doubles by apEX and Magisk in the round before last gave way to two AWP kills in the last of the half by ZywOo, who went to the switch with 19 scalps to his name.
Now jumping into the preferred attacking side on Anubis, the international squad are in prime position to get one over their Brazilian counterparts and steal their pick.
fnatic lead by three at the break
16:32 - GSTK
fnatic's strong start hit a brief wall as 9z posted a hat-trick of rounds without much resistance, but the European roster maintained their grip on the game to lead heading into the break.
fnatic now sit up 9-6, and will look to close out Nuke, 9z's pick, quickly once they move to the T-side of play.
The highlight of the game so far is undoubtedly from mezii, who gunned down five 9z players in a standout performance in round 13, even if his heroics proved to be in vain:
MIBR take control on the attack
16:29 - LucasAM
After going down 0-3, MIBR are now making the most of the preferred side on Anubis, which they were given by Vitality who are the away team on the map. The Brazilians won six on the trot and denied ZywOo a highlight 1vs3 quad-kill round in the process. The international side then got one back on the board with a successful retake in the tenth round which set the map, 6-4.
fnatic pile on pressure to lead over 9z
16:20 - GSTK
It's 7-3 to fnatic at the moment. The team around mezii have been firmly in the driver's seat and are yet to lose a round since getting on the board in round four.
FASHR is the server leader at present, sitting atop the scoreboard with 11 kills and 94 ADR. mezii is not far behind, sporting his own 10-4 performance and just pulling off a 1vs2 clutch to get fnatic onto their seventh.
The last time fnatic and 9z locked horns was, funnily enough, in Rio de Janeiro at the Major in November, when mezii and company reigned supreme in a hard-fought two-map affair en route to their eventual quarter-final finish. It doesn't look like fnatic will need to sweat as much if the game keeps playing out the way it has been so far.
First two series of the day underway
16:12 - LucasAM
Vitality and 9z got off to early 3-0 in their series. The Frenchmen are on Anubis' CT side on MIBR's pick while the Latin American combine are on the attacking side of Nuke against fnatic, who brought it back to a 3-3 tie after six rounds of play.
Day two begins with Group B elimination matches
15:55 - Striker
IEM Rio is heading into the second day of play, which will see four teams fighting in each group's lower bracket exit the competition and two more join Natus Vincere and BIG in the playoffs.
The day kicks off with Group B's first elimination matches. Vitality and fnatic will be fighting for survival up against underdogs in MIBR and 9z after they were sent to the elimination zone early yesterday.
Here's the schedule for the day:
| Date | Matches | |
|---|---|---|
| IEM Rio 2023 | ||
| 18/04/2023 |
2:0
|
Match |
| 18/04/2023 |
1:2
|
Match |
| 18/04/2023 |
0:2
|
Match |
| 18/04/2023 |
2:1
|
Match |
| 18/04/2023 |
0:2
|
Match |
| 18/04/2023 |
1:2
|
Match |
Tuvshintugs 'Annihilation' Nyamdorj
Aleksi 'Aleksib' Virolainen
Abay 'HObbit' Khassenov
Adam 'NEOFRAG' Zouhar
Maciej 'F1KU' Miklas
David 'dav1deuS' Tapia Maldonado
Russel 'Twistzz' Van Dulken
Robin 'ropz' Kool
| 
shoom123
Sandbag02
| 
toxictumble
| 
| 
kennyRiddim
| 
zekoooocs
| 
| 
ColdZer00
| 
4A616D596F756E67
