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havent scored since a 1-1 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy on June 25 and they have just four goals since their l
SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Inside the heart of Riot Games campus, Team Mountain fell 0-2 to Team Infernal (supported by Echo Fox) to begin the League of Legends Scouting Grounds round-robin group stage Wednesday night. The team, which had excelled in scrimmages before the event, felt the difference between playing comfortably in a team house to the pressure of playing an official match. Infernal Fox deployed an unexpected top lane Nasus strategy in both games, catching the Immortals-backed squad off-guard and accomplishing a sweep to put it atop the standings heading into Day 2 of the competition.Scouting Grounds Standings (After Day 1) 1. Team Infernal (Echo Fox): 1-0 (2-0) 2. Team Cloud (Counter Logic Gaming): 1-0 (2-1) 3. Team Ocean (Team Liquid): 0-1 (1-2) 4. Team Mountain (Immortals): 0-1 (0-2)Following the loss, ESPN.com spoke to the team about its thoughts on the first days action, what it needs to improve upon to make it to Fridays final, and the best moments so far in Scouting Grounds.Of course there is more pressure [in an official game.] If you make a mistake in scrims its whatever -- you can move on and fix it, said Shynon, 21, the teams vocal shotcaller from the AD carry position from Houston. For me personally, I didnt feel the pressure as much. The main difference is that youre never sure what the other team is going to bring out, if they have a pocket pick or anything and needing to adjust on the fly.I didnt play as well in the first game because I had jitters, said Team Mountains first-round draft pick (No. 3 overall), 18-year-old Tuesday from Quebec, holding down the starting mid lane position. I kind of did feel the pressure. I didnt play up to my standards.On what they learned from Day 1 of the competition, BmxSpecks, 20, from Toronto, said it didnt matter how well they did in scrimmages and that performance on the main stage is a different beast entirely. You cant put a label of best team just based off scrim results, he said. And we learned that obviously pretty well today. We just need to work from the ground up and erase that mentality [were the best] and act like everybody is even, which everyone is.I need to talk more, said the teams top laner and youngest member, Bobjenkins, 17, from New Jersey. In-game I was really quiet, because I didnt like the certain matchup I had. Its really annoying to play against [Nasus]. Its very suffocating, and you have to hope to get an early-game lead to shut the enemy top laner down before he gets too tanky. Also, I need to look around at the map more.Although the competition is cutthroat with two of the teams seeing their journey end Thursday following the culmination of the group stage, Scouting Grounds is also about getting the chance to peer into the world of pro-gaming. The main takeaway is theyre experiencing the life of a pro-gamer and having the opportunity to play on a real team; theyre learning to communicate and confide, qualities they need to become a better overall player. In short: its an experience of a lifetime for the 20 amateurs invited.Ive liked every moment of it, said Tuesday. The one that stood out is when Bjergsen visited the Immortals house. I was fanboying so hard over him. Hes been my idol and role model for the past two years, so that was super cool.On the topic of whether any of them had improved, every player nodded in agreement that they already felt like a better player after being in the Immortals house and practicing endlessly for two days.Oh yeah, definitely, Shynon said. Ive never really been coached by a professional or an LCS coach before -- Ive had analysts or coaches in lower [league] teams help me out -- and I think Hermes has really developed and helped me into a better player who just has an infinitely better understanding of the game.Ive learned a lot more about macro and really how to abuse lanes when summoner spells are burned, BmxSpecks said. A lot of time in solo queue you see someone burn their summoner spell and say youll maybe go visit that later on, but really punishing the [lack of] summoner spell and taking another objective as a team -- my macro has definitely improved a lot.Each of the five Team Mountain players gave a shout out to the professional player that has inspired them the most to reach this point.I want to be more like Impact, Bob said. During scrims, I was like solo killing everyone [like Impact] but I feel like he knows a lot more about the game. He can transition [those kills] to midgame and late game. Me, right now, all I do is add pressure by strictly 1-v-1ing, and sometimes Ill teamfight. Hopefully I can learn more from Impact ... and how he impacts the game.Reignover, answered BmxSpecks, smiling because he is practicing at Reignovers desk in the Immortals team house. Hes a very calculated player with really good macro, and I also like how he comes off really humble. There are other junglers in the NA scene that are really cocky and outspoken -- which isnt necessarily a bad thing -- but I just really attract to the whole humble player who lets his play speak than the shit talk.How did it feel playing in his seat? he was asked.It felt pretty good, but kind of bad after the Nidalee performances in scrims, BmxSpecks said.Its pretty clear already -- my favorite player, by far, is Bjergsen, said Tuesday. I think its unbelievable that hes been atop of the game for three years now, and he keeps going strong. I really aspire to be the leader he is on TSM and keep up the same mechanical level of play. Overall, he is humble for how good he is, and I really respect that.The player I aspire to just be and idolize is ROX Tigers PraY, Shynon said. PraY is one of the longest standing veterans in the scene. Hes been playing at the top level since like [2011], and so his knowledge of the game is immaculate. Especially in a meta where flashy AD carry plays isnt so prevalent, PraY finds a way to make highlight reels, and overall hes just really consistent, too.Aphromoo is my top one, said Winter, 19, the teams support and the third Canadian on the roster. He does a lot of [big] plays [while] micromanaging everyone, and hes pretty cool, too. Im talking to him everyday, almost, and hes really great.By the time the interview finished at 9 p.m. in Santa Monica, the day was winding down for most of the city. But Team Mountain returned to their practice room inside the LCS studios, having scheduled scrimmages with Team Infernal, the team that had just defeated them an hour earlier. Jahlil Okafor Jersey . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. ETwaun Moore Pelicans Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.shoppelicansonline.com/Customized/ . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Anthony Davis Jersey . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. ETwaun Moore Jersey . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. If San Jose can ever figure out how to solve its offensive problems, the Earthquakes could finally get back on a winning track.San Jose (5-6-7) is winless in its last seven MLS matches going into a home game with Toronto FC on Saturday.A lack of goals is driving the skid. The Earthquakes havent scored since a 1-1 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy on June 25 and they have just four goals since their last victory -- a 3-1 win over Houston on May 11.If San Joses recent history against Toronto is an accurate barometer, forward Chris Wondolowski could have a big game when the Reds come to town. Wondolowski has scored eight career goals against Toronto.San Jose will need all the offense they can get. Toronto (6-6-6) is unbeaten in its last three games and played to a 1-1 draw at Columbus on Wednesday, snapping a three-game road loosing streak.ddddddddddddForward Jordan Hamilton has been a driving force in the recent success, scoring three goals in the last four games.Hamilton isnt the only dangerous playmaker that Toronto can throw at the Earthquakes. Midfielder Sebastian Giovinco appears to be on track for another record-setting season with eight goals and seven assists. Giovinco is the only MLS player to rank in the top 10 in both statistical categories.Last season, Giovinco set an MLS record for combined goals and assists. He scored 22 goals and added 16 assists.Toronto has won the last two meetings between the teams -- in the last two seasons -- both in Canada. San Joses last win over Toronto FC came at home in 2013. ' ' '