Previewing IEM Dallas day one matchups

After a rough showing for the region at the BLAST.tv Paris Major, many Americas representatives are in Dallas with an opportunity to sneak in an event win on home soil. With the entire region in a slump on an international level, IEM Dallas is the perfect place to re-establish form. For some smaller teams, it will serve as a chance to earn more respect. Before the teams lock horns, let's look at the first round of games.

FURIA vs OG

It is no secret that FURIA does not look good right now. A six-map loss streak that spans IEM Rio and the Paris Major has them desperate for answers ahead of their opening game against OG. Luckily for FURIA, OG is not in a good spot either with multiple players shopping and the team sporting a stand-in with Iulian "regali" Harjău in place of Abdul "degster" Gasanov. This opening match will be a litmus test for FURIA and how the rest of the event will go for them. If their stars Kaike "KSCERATO" Cerato and Yuri "yuurih" Santos can't get going and the team can't beat this OG lineup, they are in trouble.

Nouns vs G2

Talk about a tough draw. Nouns will have to face G2 in the international team's first LAN matchup since falling far short of their Major contending goals in Paris, something they'll be looking to correct in a big way here at Dallas. With the current iteration of Nouns having ten LAN maps together, this is by far and away their biggest test together with a top-ranked G2 looking to go on a revenge tour. The one caveat here is that G2 showed that they are susceptible to being upset. Should that come to fruition, Nouns will have taken a big bounty.

In order to get it done, every member of the lineup will have to be in top form. However, in-game leader and AWPer David "cynic" Polster is the win condition in this setting. Handling both major roles in server, he is going to have to work diligently to call and AWP up to par against one of the most explosive teams in the world.

9z vs Heroic

The last time we saw 9z at a LAN was IEM Rio, where they dropped games to both FaZe and fnatic before bowing out of the tournament. They'll have a chance to right the ship against the highest-ranked team at the event in Heroic. A tall task indeed, but one that the familiar underdogs have become comfortable working through. The recipe for victory is about executing to their most optimal ability, and perhaps a slow start from Heroic. Every team at the event has a puncher's chance, and 9z will look to swing for the fences in their opening game.

Evil Geniuses vs FaZe

A puncher's chance is a good defining metric for this matchup, still, a chance for EG to mount a win in their opening matchup. A positive on the EG camp is that FaZe is not looking hot entering this event, coming off a poor showing at the Major in their own right. One massive force working against EG, however, is their recent success in the server. Their last official ended in a loss to an Advanced team, a massive difference in talent compared to the heavy hitters of FaZe. Nevertheless, EG still has a puncher's chance.

Complexity vs ENCE

A massive blow to Complexity hit the news cycle just a day before day one competition, naming Aran "Sonic" Groesbeek as the substitute AWPer for the event in place of starter Håkon "hallzerk" Fjærli, who is missing the event due to visa issues. With the star talent out on short notice, win conditions for Complexity become harder to achieve. However, the core of Complexity is rather familiar with Sonic thanks to their time together in Extra Salt. With Sonic replacing hallzerk, his impact will serve as a major win condition for the team. If his presence isn't felt early, it is going to be a tough game for Complexity.

Liquid vs Astralis

For yet another time, the two rivals will step into the server and do battle. This time, a far cry from their historic setting of years past, for neither team is near the level they once operated at. Liquid's struggles at the Major were well documented, with it ending at the hands of underdog Apeks in the playoffs. Now entering Dallas, they'll be playing with Nick "nitr0" Cannella for the final time after his announcement of stepping down. Whether this calls for a final honeymoon event, only time will tell. However, we all know the history of these two teams, and nothing would be better for Liquid right now than defeating the familiar Astralis pair that haunted Liquid for years.