In the first semi-final an All-Chinese matchup which was expected to yield a close affair instead ended abruptly after TyLoo raw, the second team of the organization, raped and humiliated TyLoo . If the first map score looked close it didn't reflect the game so much. Then again the second map did represent the flow of the game as TyLoo.raw smashed their organizational rivals 16:0 on nuke.

TyLoo 12:16 TyLoo raw (inferno - 8:7, 4:9)

First half

The first half saw raw beginning as terrorists and losing the pistol round, missed glock bursts by prom1se point blank ensuring the stairs/carpet push worked in conjunction with the window room push by TyLoo. raw soon showed the kind of game it was going to be though as they came right back to win the second round, on an eco, and immediately get back into the match.

Both teams stuck to their characters as raw won their rounds off explosive individual play, in particular from Savage who even won a big 1v2 and killed four at a key point in bombsite A, meanwhile TyLoo won their rounds with good communication and teamplay. When kill trades occured the TyLoo team were able to backup their men and make sure the numbers advantage went to them. With the game at 7:7 TyLoo took the first half lead into their terrorist half.

Second half

The second half showed that TyLoo's lead was something of a mirage, it had come from good communication and backup. When raw swapped to the CT side their continued to be on their games and off the back off Virgo's monster early rounds they rushed up to an early lead. On the other side TyLoo couldn't get anyone rolling and really looked like they were struggling to figure out a coherent attack plan in lieu of anyone being able to get entry kills.

The game ended up looking closer than it actually was in terms of how it played out. raw had a round where they might have retaken A but instead Savage tried to save his AWP last minute. raw ended the game and looked to be on fire across the board. Going into nuke TyLoo had to feel like it was their chance to get back in the game, with a map which would let them press their teamplay advantage vs. the freelancing style of raw, but they were soon to find out that it was the tv was locked on the same channel and it would be the same raw show again.


TyLoo 0:16 TyLoo raw (nuke - 0:15, 0:1)

TyLoo got dropped right in at the deep end having to play terrorist side immediately, with all the pressure of knowing they were playing confident CTs who were performing well. This was reflected in their decisions as they continued to setup with the same 2-3 basic default positions early in the round. Some in particular were really obvious for their opponents and so grenades from raw players at ramp continually damaged the TyLoo guys who held the radio room.

raw literally had two chances at winning rounds on the terrorist side. In the first 8 rounds they were 0:8 down, had 8 kills collectively and had planted zero times. They got into a 2v2 where the upper bombsite was open and the two they were facing were out of position. Savage had only 11 health and was outside of mini entrance to upper, while Rita was sat at ramp not sure if TyLoo were going to attack upper or not. TyLoo out-thought themselves and decided to go ramp, the first man died to Rita's spray and then the last was unable to get close to a plant.

The last chance for TyLoo proved to be a lower plant which ended up in a 1vX scenario for GoodRifle and a clever push by Rita in the blast door leading up behind him saw raw secure that round. When the half ended 15:0 for raw they looked more on fire than ever before while TyLoo had no players at all playing well, killing enemies in 75% of the rounds or a go-to strategy which had worked. GoodRifle in particular was absent from the game it seemed as he was not able to accomplish anything outside, his usual position in this game, and looked ineffective in the mid-game on rushes.

Savage again staked his claim for being the best player in China as he toyed with the TyLoo players, pushing hut at just the right times and getting in for the kill and out without taking significant damage.

The second half saw TyLoo get a glimpse of hope as they got into a 1v1 at lower but Xiaoe knew where the TyLoo player was and with a glock kill coming down the ramp he secured an impossibly monsterous win for raw to send them into the final.


TyLoo.raw will await the winner of Na`Vi and fnatic, who play at roughly 8:30 AM CEST today, in the final which is scheduled for tomorrow.

(Photograph copyright of ESL)