The last time SK Gaming met AGAiN it was in the 3rd place decider at IEM IV Dubai and they handed the Poles a two map beating. With the Polish team coming off a WCG gold, but a tie here at Arbalet, and SK having gone out in the first round of DreamHack things looked set to be closer in this game. Indeed they were as AGAiN somehow worked their offensive magic to overcome a huge SK first half lead only for a mental error on LUq's part and big play from kHRYSTAL to swing the game back into the Swede's favour for the rounds they needed.

SK Gaming 16:14 AGAiN (train 12:3 4:11)

First half

SK came out of the gate strong charging up to 4:0. Two kills from neo and LUq got the Poles into the game but the next two rounds were traded. Three kills from RobbaN put SK up 5:1 but walle couldn't win a 1v3 with the bomb planted and so 5:2 it was. SK then peeled off four straight, with kHRYSTAL winning a 1v1 against TaZ at outer.

On the 12th round TaZ killed two early by pushing up at the outside pop dog train and in the small ladder room. When AGAiN got into a 4v1 allen managed to surprise the two who were white walls above the ladder and kill both before finally dying, 9:3 SK. The last three of the half went to the Swedes as allen sat on 16-7 after the 13th round and three kills from kHRYSTAL in the 15th were the deciding factors.

The Poles had started the last round with two of them forced to buy famases but two kills from LUq had helped them into a 1v1, unfortunately for them kHRYSTAL was up to the task. 12:3 SK as terrorist looked terrible but AGAiN could take consolation in knowing they are one of the few teams who can never be counted out on the offensive side.


Second half

Things got going in the right fashion for AGAiN as they won the pistol after a good flank through CT spawn by kuben allowed him to disrupt SK's inside defense during the Polish push into the inside bombsite. LUq was left 1v2 with the bomb down and killed both. On the 3rd round SK had a shot at turning an eco round into a win as they overloaded the inside bombsite with four players and managed to get TaZ into a 1v2 which he won, taking four kills in the round overall. 12:6 SK was the scoreline overall.

Three kills from walle helped SK take a round as loord timed out the round 1v2. Three kills from kuben's deagle, two of them headshots, helped AGAiN take the 5th round and the next came their way also as SK saved, making it 13:8 SK. The next two rounds were traded as an unsuccessful alley rush by the Poles was followed next round by a solid penetration which got them the bomb down 4v3, a situation which caused SK to decide to save. The next two went to the Poles also and the score now read 14:11 overall, suddenly the lead of the first half was not as daunting or inescapable for the AGAiN team. Would these be another classic comeback?

The Polish team looked strong at this point as their offense was flowing and their players were hitting their shots. Then disaster struck on what seemed a routine finish to a round as AGAiN took the inside bombsite with numbers and only kHRYSTAL left alive, saving an AWP outside at the five train. LUq decided to throw the bomb down for someone to plant while he hunted for the last kill on top of the train. Of course he didn't count on the bomb going into the train, thus making it irretrievable. AGAiN were forced to try to hunt kHRYSTAL down as the round timer got into the last 30 seconds or so. From his spot on the hitch of the five train kHRYSTAL AWPed them all and took what seemed an inexplicable round to anyone who didn't see where the bomb landed.

Even worse for the Poles than merely that error alone was that it had put SK at map point and denied them any hope of their comeback turning into a victory. TaZ found himself 1v2 in the 12th round and made it a 1v1 but kHRYSTAL again was the hero as he killed him to take the match for SK.

AGAiN managed to take the reamining three rounds to lose by the minimum but this still had to be a soul destroying loss in light of the momentum they had swung their way with big plays from key members of the team. LUq had been a big part of their comeback with his offensive AWPing but the error proved too costly due to its timing.