Pentagram-GS

Filip "neo" Kubski
Jakub "kuben" Gurczynski
Lukasz "LUq" Wnek
Wiktor "TaZ" Wojtas
Marius "Loordb" Cybulski

Pentagram have been known for a while as a good team being very stable and having an original style. This year has been the one of the consecration. After ESWC 2006 where they didn't pass the first group stage, drawing with Lunatic (15-15) and losing to MiBR (13-17), they then took in kuben from Steelhand and since July the lineup has stayed the same. After this change, everything has been going quickly: 1st in the WSVG London, 1st at the WCG in Monza, 3rd place at the CPL Winter, 2nd in shgOpen, 1st in the Extreme Masters finals: the list is long.
What is the key of their success? Three letters: n e o. The player is incredible, he knows how to move, how to headshot and never fails to do so. Add that to that the very interesting leadership of TaZ and three other incredible players, and you have the best team of the year. Since they are not practicing so much in online events, they may have some fresh tactics for this ESWC and do far better than last year. They are for sure the number one favourite for the event, but the last place in the WSVG is still in mind and a counter-performance is possible.

Jan "moon" Stolle
David "CHEF-KOCH" Nagel
Benjamin "paN" von Mulert
Roman "roman" Ausserdorfer
Manuel "Approx" Zeitz

ALTERNATE aTTaX is one of the most hyped teams on the planet. They are without a doubt the best team in Germany and they prouved it twice, both at the ESWC Qualifier and at the ELS EPS Finals. The fact is that a large number of 'experts' believed that the accomplishment of aTTaX last year was due to the trio Kapio-Tixo-silver, but this year mooN and CHEF-KOCH have both shown it was an incredible team without them. The addition of paN and roman has been a breath of air for the team, who can trust their skill and their stability. In fact paN has been really amazing in the last two events he has attended with aTTaX and he promises to be one of the MVP of the ESWC.
Even if they haven't attended that many international events with this lineup in the last months, they are doing well in Eurocup XV and NGL-One and are doing better than the top3 of last year, so the ESWC seems not so impossible for the team. They are known for being controversial on the internet, but they have also pointed out that they can do the same in LAN. Moreover mooN is an incredible leader and a very skilled player and if approx plays at his best, it's hard to guess who will stop aTTaX this summer.

Alexander "ave" Holdt
Brian "hpx" Christensen
Muhamed "mJe" Eid
Danny "zonic" Sørensen
Christoffer "Sunde" Sunde

NoA is a name deeply linked to esports. We are now far from the Norwegians of America, but this fully Danish lineup has restored the prestige of the mythical name. Since they have integrated players from incredible Teamaction and Asylum in a fully Danish team, NoA has experienced real stability, as they haven't occured any change to their lineup August 2006, when ave replaced FaagaN. The change that will affect them the most is the recent departure of Paddy, whose blank has been quickly filled by Sunde. Since then, the level of NoA is a bit random and almost everyone surprised when they lost their first match of the ESWC.dk versus Global Gaming. Catching back their mind, they won this qualifier and it looks like Sunde integrated well. NoA evolves undoubtedly inside the best of world's hierarchy and their level is NGL-One is incredible. But regarding their season, they haven't reached the highest step of the podium even in the SLAP Lan where they finished secound after Rotate. Their third place at shgOpen behind Pentagram and MibR shows they are everytime closer to the victory but are missing a little thing.
The awp of hpx is going to be crucial in Paris, and hopefully for NoA, hpx is one of the best snipers on earth. The average skill is very high and Sunde may bring something new and fresh to the team. The Danish may re-establish a bit their game and, after Team Titans and SK.dk, will keep Denmark on top at ESWC!

Harley "dsn" Orwall
Patrik "f0rest" Lindberg
Oskar "ins" Holm
Oscar "Archi" Torgersen
Patrik "cArn" Sättermon

fnatic has a huge gathering of fans, and we know why! Headed by the elected best player of the year, f0rest, and backed by the incredible AWP of dsn, the team have established thier game on incredible individual skill. They are also a model of stabilty: just one change in two years. Tentpole has been released from his obligation and ins has joined his new team mates. Fnati,c along with aTTaX, is the team that is the most feared in Europe for this ESWC since Pentagram has shown no life sign for a while. They have just won what has been called the hardest National qualification for the ESWC and after a little absence are slaughtering everyone in NGL-One. Besides, according to ins, they haven't bootcamp before the ESWC.swe, so with a bootcamp they promise to be even better!
What is their secret? f0rest for sure, but not only. DSN has also an important role in the team as awp. But the men of the shadows, who give something new are Archi and cArn who have an original gaming style and who can overturn any game in their favour. The only problem with which fnatic can be confronted is with the integration of ins, who has shown moments of brilliance for the team, but has not been very consisitant. A worse performance than last year will be disapointing for fnatic who are finally wainting for an ESWC title.

Made in Brazil

Raphael "cogu" Camargo
Bruno "bruno" Ono
Lincoln "fnx" Lau
Bruno "bit" Lima
Renato "nak" Nakano

They have the title in hands, and they are also going to put it back on the table this year and try to take it back! These brazilians are incredible, and were dominating at the previous ESWC when not many lads were expecting them as winners. Now the pressure on their shoulders is infinitely bigger, but their training at the Inferno Online with SK may help them to deal with it! When KIKOOO left, it was hard to guess if MiBR was able to get off the ground, but the former GameCrasher player, bit, has given some fresh air and is the same kind of players than fnx. Both of them are very skilled, and pretty consitant. The first place at the shgOpen, with such a reduced preparation time, was a half surprise with this amazing lineup.
The other strenght of MibR is COGU and his incredible awp. If we turn to the ESWC 2006 Finals, he has won the match practicly alone winning all his duels versus dsn in the road to the B side. Nak and Bruno are not outdone and are also key players of the team. It's easier to get in top than to stay in it, and MibR will show if they are able to take the victory twice in the first time of the ESWC history.