EG seal ESL Pro League NA playoff berth

Evil Geniuses clinched a playoff spot in ESL Pro League Season 11's North America competition by rallying to beat MIBR 2-1 on Thursday. After MIBR (1-3) captured Vertigo 16-14, EG (3-1) prevailed 16-13 on Dust II and 16-8 on Inferno. Thanks to the win, Evil Geniuses grabbed sole possession of first place.

In the day's other match, Swole Patrol swept FURIA Esports 2-0, taking Vertigo 16-12 and Nuke 16-7. The result left both teams with 2-2 records. The coronavirus pandemic forced the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament into an online-only format, and organizers split the event into European and North America divisions, with each region crowning its own champion.

North America pool play will run through Friday, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. The first- and second-place squads advance to the upper-bracket final while the third- and fourth-place teams will meet in the opening round of the losers bracket. All matches are best-of-three until the grand final, which will be best-of-five. The later rounds of the playoffs originally were scheduled to be held in Broomfield, Colo.

The North America winner will take home $75,000 out of a $219,000 prize pool. Group play concludes Friday with every team in action: Team Liquid vs. EG, 100 Thieves vs. FURIA, Swole Patrol vs. MIBR.

ESL Pro League Season 11: North America standings, with map differential, through Wednesday: 1. Evil Geniuses, 3-1, +5

T2. Swole Patrol, 2-2, +3 T2. Team Liquid, 2-2, +17

T2. FURIA Esports, 2-2, +2 T5. 100 Thieves, 2-2, +9

6. MIBR, 1-3, -36 --Field Level Media

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