South America out in force for ESL Challenger Valencia

ESL Challenger Valencia will begin tomorrow with three days of action-packed CS. Half the teams in the tournament hail from South America, namely, FURIA, MIBR, HUMMER, and 00 Nation. Recently rattled by multiple losses to 9z, FURIA must ensure dominance over their South American brothers while also fighting off mighty challengers from the rest of the world.

FURIA, as stated previously, are in a tough situation. Despite being ranked seventh in the world and favorites for this tournament, their recent performances have left a lot to be desired. As Rafael "saffee" Costa becomes more situated within the roster, we will see if they meld to become the standout South American team.

The second team vying for the first prize is absolutely Outsiders. With recent additions Petr "fame" Bolyshev and David "n0rb3r7" Danielyan, it's anybody's guess how the new Outsiders will fare in their matchups. They come off a disappointing last-place finish at Roobet Cup, but this event means a lot more, with an EPL Conference slot on the line.

Movistar Riders show up on their own home turf as the only Spanish team in the tournament. After a series of less-than-ideal placings at similar events, they look to show themselves once more against some of the best in the world. In Valencia, they will prove if they're up to the task of defending the homeland against their foreign adversaries.

Next on the list is MIBR, another Brazilian team vying for the South American throne. In the midst of a slow but steady climb to the top twenty, MIBR have made good progress in the past few months, but are showing signs of stagnation. Recently finishing in the top four along with Outsiders to make ESL Pro League Season 16, winning in Valencia will be a great step to making EPL Season 17 and breaking free of their stagnation.

After MIBR, we have German second-fiddle turned international roster Sprout. Sitting just outside the top 30, they are the highest non-invited team on the list. Recently underperforming after the switch to an international roster, new recruit Laurențiu "lauNX" Țârlea could be the missing ingredient the continental stew requires to enter the coveted top 30.

HUMMER also enter the European tournament from across the Atlantic. After an EPL Conference that wasn't as successful as MIBR's or Outsiders' , they are hungry to bring home a victory from Europe. Hovering around the HLTV #70th mark for most of their lifetime, HUMMER are making deeper and deeper runs in their tournaments, steadily climbing to just outside the top 30. Whether they can continue their momentum is up to them, but do not be surprised if they come out of Valencia with a few extra scalps to their names.

Hailing all the way across the world from Asia is Rare Atom, making a rare appearance in a European tournament. The Chinese team has been dominating in their region, recently defeating Major visitors IHC in two separate series. Now it's time to see if they can keep up their dominant ways in Europe. They're largely an unknown, but Rare Atom's games are sure to be entertaining ones.

Even more of an unknown is 00 Nation. While rumors have been swirling of a potential GODSENT acquisition, as of 12 hours before the event, no official announcement has been made. So, as it stands, Marcelo "coldzera" David and Santino "try" Rigal will be playing wingman versus full teams of five. coldzera on his own has more Major wins than every other team combined, so it's pretty much a fair fight.

The opening matches of ESL Challenger are:

• MIBR vs Rare Atom Friday 04:30AM

• HUMMER vs Movistar Riders Friday 06:10AM

• 00 Nation vs Outsiders Friday 07:50AM

• FURIA vs Sprout Friday 09:30AM