(If you're missing context, please feel free reference the original VALORANT World Cup project thread: https://www.vlr.gg/493514/valorant-world-cup-simulation/)
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The VALORANT World Cup is underway! 4 matches were played yesterdayโthe first set of matches in groups A and B.
Group A
๐จ๐ณ China vs. Canada ๐จ๐ฆ
๐น๐ผ Taiwan vs. Portugal ๐ต๐น
Group B
๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia vs. Japan ๐ฏ๐ต
๐ฌ๐ง United Kingdom vs. Egypt ๐ช๐ฌ
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๐จ๐ณ China 2-0 Canada ๐จ๐ฆ
Match page: https://i.imgur.com/fDJCTtM.png
Map 1: Icebox
๐จ๐ณ 19-17 ๐จ๐ฆ
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/BoTcbya.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/ga4092h.png
Map 2: Icebox
๐จ๐ณ 13-6 ๐จ๐ฆ
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/5ICmT8A.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/Mk0gVfS.png
This was a match much closer than the scorelines suggest. The majority of the rounds came down to 1 or 2 players left standing, and either side could've taken this series.
The first map of the tournament was back and forth, and came down to OT, where China looked to take the map 14-12. Canada decided to hit A and ran into ZmjjKK's op (https://i.imgur.com/6o3zVgY.png). It looked like it was over... until JonahP pulled off the improbable 1v5 clutch to hold off a retake on B (https://i.imgur.com/bguobW6.png). The overtime went on for another 10 rounds before China took it. (We do NOT talk about mada's KD this game, by the way)
Map 2 wasn't nearly as close as map 1. ZmjjKK hit the ground running with two 4Ks in the first 5 rounds, and China took that momentum (with help from an ace from Kangkang later in the first half) and converted a 13-6 to win the series 2-0.
Match MVP: ๐จ๐ณ ZmjjKK
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๐น๐ผ Taiwan 2-1 Portugal ๐ต๐น
Match page: https://i.imgur.com/iDYxs9S.png
Map 1: Ascent
๐น๐ผ 13-8 ๐ต๐น
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/SmVJycc.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/sqfUqXx.png
Map 2: Icebox
๐น๐ผ 11-13 ๐ต๐น
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/KBUseY7.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/I63ioeW.png
Map 3: Split
๐น๐ผ 13-5 ๐ต๐น
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/7FMBe7R.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/rLOKWur.png
This match should've been much more in Taiwan's favour, but no one can deny Portugal put up a good fight.
Ascent wasn't too eventful. A mirror match in terms of the composition, and no real notable performances other than happywei on the Cypher, logging a 4K and 3 different 3Ks.
Map 2 came about, and instantly things improved for Portugal. They kept opting into gamble stacking a site to counter the hit-a-site-and-play-postplant metagame of Icebox (https://i.imgur.com/InySECW.png). On other defensive rounds, they put starkk alone in different parts of the map, and I guess all he needed was some space, because he did damn well to stop hits, getting multiple multikills and even an ace (https://i.imgur.com/K2A4hWU.png). Taiwan almost brought it back in the second half, but the Portuguese had already done enough to level the match.
Split was the decider, and it looked as if map 2 had never happened. Taiwan had all the momentum in this game, and Spring's fragging in tangent BerLIN and happywei's lurks made sure Taiwan was able to wrap the series up cleanly.
Match MVP: ๐น๐ผ Spring
(Thank you to saebr and yukky for casting Icebox and Split, by the way! I was able to stream the majority of this series and quite a few people turned up to watch, which was amazing. I appreciate everyone who's invested in this little project ๐ค)
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๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia 2-0 Japan ๐ฏ๐ต
Match page: https://i.imgur.com/gGQyHQn.png
Map 1: Ascent
๐ฎ๐ฉ 13-7 ๐ฏ๐ต
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/ftYbjUy.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/2E3heA5.png
Map 2: Icebox
๐ฎ๐ฉ 13-9 ๐ฏ๐ต
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/3onxfnz.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/LERUTmw.png
Japan was one of the teams with the most to prove coming into this tournament, and in their first match, they'd have to face the biggest dark horse of them all, Indonesia.
Map 1 was, again, plain old Ascent, with a mirror comp on both sides (only difference being xffero on Cypher and SyouTa on Killjoy). In fact, rounds 1 through 18 weren't memorable whatsoever. In round 19, however, Monyet was defending A and pulled off a s0m-2023-esque ace on Japan as they were coming through the choke (https://i.imgur.com/ZjuGVVK.png), putting Indonesia at map point. Meiy did everything he could to keep Japan in the map, getting 4 picks, but Famouz said no, converting a 1v5 against a lost-looking Japanese side to take Ascent 13-7 (https://i.imgur.com/1XccHwh.png).
Icebox to Japan was similar to what it was for Portugal; they seemed to find their footing a lot more. A thrifty on round 2 helped them end the first half up 7-5. Indonesia, though, took back the reins of the match and won 8 of the next 12 rounds to steal Icebox away and take a comfortable 2-0 victory in the series. Monyet proved stellar this map, as he went 29/12 on Viper (though he didn't really lurk much, to be honest... it was mostly running in after Famouz on site execs).
Match MVP: ๐ฎ๐ฉ Monyet
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๐ฌ๐ง United Kingdom 2-1 Egypt ๐ช๐ฌ
Match page: https://i.imgur.com/CWFAIaX.png
Map 1: Sunset
๐ฌ๐ง 9-13 ๐ช๐ฌ
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/iMCIlst.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/Wl1oXDC.png
Map 2: Haven
๐ฌ๐ง 13-6 ๐ช๐ฌ
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/h20Z3Q7.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/gKLwIxs.png
Map 3: Pearl
๐ฌ๐ง 13-5 ๐ช๐ฌ
Timeline: https://i.imgur.com/sPLNjgO.png
Stats: https://i.imgur.com/hF7aKgC.png
The final match of the day brought surprises from both teams.
Sunset was first off, and Avez set a statement right off the rip. After a questionable pistol conversion from Egypt, he aces with the Spectre to keep the UK from getting a thrifty (https://i.imgur.com/EuCUgUI.png). But he wasn't done; just two rounds later, he secures round 4 for Egypt by getting a 1v4 ace clutch (https://i.imgur.com/RBwEn3J.png). This put him at 2 aces in the span of 3 rounds, and Egypt carried this momentum through the first half. The UK weren't playing particularly well either, losing three consecutive attack rounds on time. Avez ended the first half with what could've very easily been a third ace (https://i.imgur.com/UIAmeeB.png), and despite a late streak of rounds from the British, Egypt would take map 1 13-9. Avez's KD was 33/15... no one else on Egypt was positive, and only two others even hit double digits.
The following two maps proved two things: Egypt is overly reliant on Avez's Raze, and the UK have a lot of fight in them. These maps weren't as eventful as Sunset, with both being blowouts for the UK. Haven was an easy map for them, with everyone shooting well and Avez going double negative on Jett. Pearl was a bit more notable... Egypt went up 4-1 before the UK won 12 of the next 13 rounds to take the map 15-13. Egypt's double flash duelist comp should've boded well against Britain's double controller, but Boaster and Keiko on the Viper and Harbor made sure that didn't happen, going 22/8 and 20/11 respectively.
Match MVP: ๐ช๐ฌ Avez
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That was all for Matchday 1!
Here's how the table stands after the first 4 matches: https://i.imgur.com/I11NyEb.png
Not sure how many games I'll get through today, but here are the matches I can confirm will happen on Matchday 2:
Group C
๐น๐ท Tรผrkiye vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช
๐ฆ๐ท Argentina vs. Mexico ๐ฒ๐ฝ
Group D
๐จ๐ฑ Chile vs. Philippines ๐ต๐ญ
๐ฑ๐น Lithuania vs. Spain ๐ช๐ธ
If you want to check the other groups for future matchups, everything is listed in this thread: https://www.vlr.gg/493814/vwc-group-stage-draw
Hope you're enjoying this tournament so far! ๐ซก
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