x3o started off this match right by winning pistol round and unlike versus mYm, they showed great teamwork overtaking mTw in the A bomb site and setting the pace of the match. Round 3 was very sloppy for x3o. Up 2-0 after pistol round and winning the 2nd eco round, x3o took inner and planted but played very passively against mTw who had USP's and one galil. x3o's passive play almost cost them the round as they were picked off 1 by 1 by the galil and ended up coming down to a lucky 1v3 win.



By round ten, x3o was up comfortably 6-3 but were showing more sloppy play. With two guys exposed outer, x3o had two guys walking alley apparently not contributing to the strategy at all. Hopefully, it was an execution failure and not an actual strat because the outer guys died before the two walking alley had any chance of contributing.



Round eleven would show more of the same play from the Americans. x3o would make a great take on alley and have the upper hand on the round, only to hang back in the alley area while mTw encloses in on them. x3o didn't even bother spreading out or taking vantage points like the tower. They would finish the half down 7-8 but still in control at this point.



x3o would start off the next half by losing the pistol round yet again In this round they traded good frags as defense but in a 2v2 situation mehler made a costly mistake. He peaked, deciding not to wait on his teammate patyojon, who was close behind him. Mehler died and ultimately x3o lost the round because of it.



After losing pistol round, x3o would drop the next 4 and give mTw the lead at 13-7. They would slowly claw their way back into this match, winning the next 4 in a row, putting them down 11-13. Round ten would prove to be a pivotal one in the match. mTw's inner takes looked almost identical to mYm's, but this time x3o wouldn't let them win. x3o pinned mTw in the back of the bomb site successfully. Behind a good top-side push by Patyojon, x3o was able to lock mTw down and easily retake the site, something they couldn't do against mYm. x3o would win round ten and go on to win 4 of the last 5 to win the match.




x3o represented America well and had a nice run at the 2008 ESWC Grand Finals in San Jose, California. A 16-8 win over 2nd placing eStro, a 16-14 come back win against number two ranked team mTw, and a 10-16 loss to the eventual winner of the event shows that x3o has what it takes to compete internationally and possibly become one of the greats. It is unfortunate that x3o did not advance to the bracket play. Sure, some will say that x3o got screwed by silly tie breaker rules, but the only ones they have to blame are themselves.

x3o should learn from their mistakes and not use what happened as an excuse as to why they didn't win or place better. They played well, very well. Had this been a double elimination tournament, x3o could have placed top 3 based on what matches they played. Then again, it could be said that this really only demonstrated that they are good at de_train, as it was featured during their three important matches.

x3o has what it takes to be one of the elite if they work on better pistol rounds and avoid those sloppy rounds in which they get the entry kills but fail to capitalize on it. Impressively, x3o learned from their mistakes in the mYm match improved their play to beat mTw. x3o is very capable of dominating both mTw and mYm, if they could fix all their small mistakes. Don't be surprised if they do so at the next tournament.