Smart Taco Play Confirms Group A Winner Final Matchup at ECS Season 5 Live Finals

The first two matches of the ECS Season 5 Live Finals have concluded at the SSE Wembley Arena in London.

The $660,000 playoffs are the conclusion of an online season spanning from March, with the top four teams from North America and the top four from Europe reaching the live finals.

Astralis entered the tournament as one of the favorites after their emphatic ESL Pro League 7 finals victory in May.

In their first matchup of the ECS S5 finals in Group A, they showed why they’re so highly revered with an impressive comeback win over Cloud9, taking Inferno 16-13.

The second game in Group A, it was the turn of the multinational Team Liquid going up against the new look lineup of FNATIC.

The Swede’s were looking to prove that replacing Jonas ‘Xitz’ Olofsson was the right decision, while Team Liquid wanted to show their loss against NRG at Starladder the week before wasn’t a true reflection of their skill.

The game went back and forth, but it was Brazilian player Epitácio “TACO” de Melo who proved his worth with an incredibly smart play to take the map 16-14.

Team Liquid now advance to play Astralis for a spot in the playoffs in the next matchup. Meanwhile Cloud9 and Fnatic will battle to stay in the competition on Saturday morning, with the winner facing the loser of TL or Astralis.

Follow our coverage of the ECS Season 5 Live Finals via our dedicated coverage hub.