eUnited Counter Strike Ready For DreamHack Rio, IEM Sydney
By: Zachary Lange
After a successful weekend at the ESL Pro League, coupled with a grueling travel schedule ahead, eUnited’s Counter Strike team is ascending at LAN and in the air.
Traveling from various parts North America to Burbank, California to compete in Group A of the pro league, the team had less than four days to turn around and fly approximately 6,300 miles to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the DreamHack Open Rio tournament that begins this weekend.
The sky mile rewards will keep racking up for the squad, too. After Rio, the team plans on returning to their respective homes for a few days before another long trip to Sydney, Australia for IEM Sydney 2019.
Between the two events, $350,000 is on the line in total prizes.
The first of three events began with a moral victory as eUnited placed second in a three-way tie in the opening group of the pro league. Had the team finished last in the group, they would have been sent home empty-handed. Instead, they’ll be back in Burbank for a last chance qualifier on May 16-23.
A runner-up finish sent eUnited shooting up the HLTV rankings list to No. 31 in the world, tied for the highest rating for the starting five core group of players since forming earlier this year. The team is on the rise in the ESL World Ranking as well, currently seeded No. 38 based off of performances in the past six months.
DreamHack Open Rio is the first Brazilian event that eUnited has ever participated in, and five of the participating eight teams claim the country as their homeland.
Seeded again in Group A, eUnited will begin play versus AVANGAR Friday at 12 p.m. Eastern in a best-of-one series. Should the team win its opening match and an additional best-of-three set against the other winner in the group, they will automatically advance to Sunday’s semifinals.
The event features five teams ranked inside the top-40 in the HLTV rankings.
IEM Sydney boasts a star-studded lineup of 16 teams including MVP PK of South Korea, European heavyweight FaZe Clan and North America headliner Team Liquid. Groups have yet to be announced for the tournament, which begins April 30 and runs until May 5.
It will also be the first time that any team under the eUnited banner has gone down under to Australia for an event.
Be sure to follow eUnited on all social media platforms to receive the latest updates on start times and final scores.