daps vs stanislaw: 2023 day two preview

Day one of BLAST Premier Fall Showdown 2023 provided us with some great matches, and day two promises to be just as thrilling.

There's another three best of threes coming your way, including IEM Cologne winners G2, Russian powerhouse Cloud9, and the return of NA history as daps takes on stanislaw for the first time as a player since before the former's departure to VALORANT.

Three matches, hours of action, let's take you through what you can expect.

Cloud9 vs Movistar Riders

Day one kicked off with a battle between two of the very few national squads left in Counter-Strike, so it's only fitting that day two does as well.

Both teams qualified for the event by winning events, Cloud9 won the RES Eastern European Masters, while Movistar Riders won the RTP Arena Cup. Potential favourites of both of those events, both teams will be keen to carry on that form into the Showdown.

Photo: Stephanie Lindgren

Cloud9 have all the name value behind them, and many would expect them to be the favourites given their name value as 'the Russian superteam', but recent performances by both teams at ESL Pro League Season 18 suggests this game could be far closer than people might expect.

We can't think of a better game to start the day with.

G2 vs OG

Two teams that most recently faced each other at BLAST Premier Fall Groups, G2 pulverised OG on that occasion with two 16-6 scorelines.

OG will be hoping to fare much better this time around, and with Romanian prodigy regali on their team, anything is possible.

Photo: Michal Konkol

However, it will be a tough task for the international squadron if they are to do so. G2 have won both IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne this year, and because of their strong year overall, they've already booked their place at BLAST Premier World Final 2023.

Fall Groups was a minor bump in the road for G2, and they'll be determined not to let enough mistakes sneak through this time around.

Liquid vs Forsaken

These two teams couldn't be further away from each other on the spectrum.

Liquid are one of the oldest and most successful organisations in NA CS history but have recently turned their back on the region, while Forsaken represent a new team and a new hope for NA while also harkening back to its glory days with a team name from coach Warden's days as a player.

Photo: Stephanie Lindgren

That being said, Liquid will be playing with a North American core for the first time since the departures of nitr0 and EliGE in the Summer break as daps is stepping into the IGL shoes following the benching of Rainwaker.

On name value alone, this match should go the way of Liquid, but the Americas Showdown has already provided one upset, and Forsaken have already proved in their short time together that they can pull off an upset too.