GamerLegion are the first team into the Esports World Cup playoffs, having beaten JiJieHao 2-0 in a series that never looked close, HLTV reports. The Europeans took Dust2 13-3 and closed out Ancient 13-8.
It is a sharp turn from where Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski's side began the season. GamerLegion were knocked out of Bounty in the first round by HOTU, but they have shaken off that ring rust to dominate their first two matches at the Esports World Cup with a 74% round win rate.
FL4MUS sets the tone
Returning rifler Timur “FL4MUS” Marev was the difference on Dust2, where he finished with a 2.33 rating. The 21-year-old opened the series with an instant Dualies four-kill in the first pistol round, then added a brilliant M4A4 spraydown and the closing kill of the 13-3 win.
Marev spoke of his relief at being back in a stable project after a difficult period with Virtus.pro and short stints at OG and BetBoom. His return has coincided with the team's best form of the season.
Ancient began in a similar vein, although JiJieHao did pick up a smattering of rounds later in the map. Sebastian “Tauson” Tauson Lindelof was excellent there, following his flying one-tap on Dust2 with a three-kill entry on the second map and a 1.80 rating of his own.
Two very different exits from the group
The series scores read:
- Dust2: GamerLegion 13-3 JiJieHao
- Ancient: GamerLegion 13-8 JiJieHao
GamerLegion progress to the playoffs with their confidence restored. JiJieHao, meanwhile, were unable to repeat the heroics that had taken them past Spirit, the top-ranked side in the Valve Regional Standings, only a day earlier. Having beaten the best-ranked team on the circuit one day and lost 13-3 on the opening map the next, the Asian side are left to work out what happened to the team that produced the upset.
