Recapping EUL Stage 1

The first stage of the European League 2021 season was marked by surprising upsets and the dominant display of two teams. Some favorites dropped the ball, some of last season’s losers managed to fight back. Join us in recapping the insane happenings of EUL Stage 1.

From the start, fans and analysts agreed on one thing: BDS Esport have to get back to the top. While they did deliver on this promise to some extent, as they were more dominant than most teams, they had one clear nemesis.

NAVI & BDS – THE FRONTRUNNERS

Early on, these two teams set themselves on top of the rest. Until the very last moment, they pulled close, but Natus Vincere eventually made first place. This was down to the head-to-head comparison, as both teams secured 20 points overall. Because NaVi had mounted an 8-6 finish over the Frenchmen on Day 5, they got the upper hand.

This is obviously a disappointing result for BDS. If only they hadn’t underperformed on these last two days, they would have pulled ahead of the next best team by six points. Now, however, they have to be content with second place. The difference in prize money won’t bother them as much as their missed opportunity to secure another EUL victory.

NaVi, however, can be proud of their achievements. Last year, they weren’t anything more than a middle-of-the-pack team, but now, they have risen to the top. Their roster changes have paid out. With the exception of one surprise defeat to G2, all of their matches were either regulation victories or went to overtime.

COWANA & ROGUE – CLOSING IN TO THE TOP

They aren’t the only proud Brits in this constellation. From Challenger League, Cowana Gaming came into the running as absolute underdogs. They didn’t look to be able to compete with the best of the league. But after the sixth play-day, they suddenly jumped onto third place and have stayed there ever since. In their penultimate match, they achieved an 8-7 victory over BDS and had they not failed against Vitality later, they would even have surpassed the Frenchmen in the standings. For their debut season, this is already a massive success. They have placed higher than most of the former favorites.

Last year, Rogue had to suffer a horrendous crash. From first place in EUL Stage 1, they dropped all the way to last place. They spent months without recording a single match victory, but now they’re finally back. Eugene “karzheka” Petrishin has left the team and Pascal “cryn” Alouane has joined in his place. On paper, the player might not perform as well as his predecessor, but the team chemistry seems to finally be right. Rogue are quick, Rogue are smart – and hadn’t they choked on the last day, they could also have made third place.

G2, VP & VITALITY – MIDDLE OF THE PACK

G2 and Virtus.pro share a joint 14 points with Rogue. But since the German team won versus both of them, they’re on top in the standings. The placement decision between G2 and VP was made via the head-to-head comparison. On the second day, the Russian players had suffered a 4-7 loss to Ben “CTZN” McMillan and his colleagues.

Vitality started the season out somewhere in the middle and have ended up just there. In seventh place, they’re probably not happy, but at least they have shown great potential against G2, VP, NaVi, and Cowana. But since three of their victories were achieved in overtime, they lost out on some vital points. These would have catapulted them to a tie with Cowana! Their eventual victory over that team on the last day would then have put them in third place. Had their match on the first day been a 7-5 finish over BDS and not a 5-7 loss, they would also have pulled ahead of the British team.

These comparisons go to show how incredibly strong most EUL teams are. Two thirds of them are so competitive that they can win against each other at any given moment. In the European League, there really are only three rosters that have lost their way. The November Major winners are among them, unfortunately.

TRAINHARD, EMPIRE, SECRET – THE BOTTOM TEAMS

Empire have lost their status as a top roster. So much has gone wrong this season. Nothing is left from the dominant Major performance they displayed over BDS back in November. Even TrainHard, who consist of Tempra remains and Challengers prospects, have put up a more convincing show. At the very least, Empire don’t sit in last place.

This spot belongs to Secret. If it wasn’t obvious as to how important Peter “pacbull” Bull was for the team, this should serve as an ultimate proof. Without him and Ville “SHA77E” Palola, nothing seems to be working fine. In comparison to their seven losses, their small upsets look weak and meaningless. For the upcoming season, Kevin “Prano” Pranowitz and his men will have to find a way to at least get away from the bottom spot.

THE BEST EUL PLAYERS

Despite only making fifth place, G2 have managed to position their best player at the top of the leaderboard. CTZN is in contention for the title of best player in the world. At the moment, the international comparison is somewhat lacking, but on European soil, he has definitely managed to impress. Byron “Blurr” Murray and Stéphane “Shaiiko” Lebleu are joining him at the top, but Andrey “m1loN” Mironov has also secured a more than positive rating for this season.

Prano has completely folded and only managed to attain a 0.93 rating. Christophe “Chaoxys” Soares is the only TrainHard player with a positive rating. This is not a great sign going into the next league phase. There’s some time left until Stage 2, which the likes of TrainHard, Empire, and Secret can use to fix their issues. While the top teams are busy with preparing for the Six Invitational, they might find a way to start out fresh.