Capcom Cup IX Recap: All Day One Results and Standings

The first day of the final Capcom Cup for Street Fighter V started with a bang, and it was a teaser of what is still to come. 47 players from all around the world played today, with some of them giving themselves a great chance of qualification and other already looking at the possible end of their journeys.

You can check out the current standings and recap after Day 1 below.

Group A

Group A has the current Capcom Cup champion in iDom, and as expected, he was the favorite to top his group. He did so in typically dominant fashion, winning both his games against SolVNG and RonaldinhoBR 2-0. SolVNG tried to deal with iDom's relentless pressure by using Falke, who has better zoning tools. But this was nothing to iDom, who took the victory with no real trouble. Ronaldinho, unfortunately, lost his other match, which was against Takamura, despite pulling out a surprise Blanka pick. It was not enough against a determined Takamura who put himself on the board.

Group A also had Veggey, who faced Oil King but lost to the latter's Rashid. Veggey got another shot against SolVNG and, this time, got a win leaving the two other American players in precarious positions. At the moment, it does seem like the top two spots will be fought over by iDom, Veggey, Oil King, and Takamura. But, seeing how dominant iDom has been, it is quite possible that there is only one spot left to fight for. 

Group B

Group B is one of two 'groups of death' as it has a plethora of top-level talent, and the games we got were a reflection of that. When the groupings first appeared, there was a temptation to perhaps consider Evo winner Kawano as in danger, especially with the pool of talent that he was up against. Therefore, when he first stepped up against The4philzz, it felt as if he had something to prove, to remind people that he was the one who defeated the seemingly unstoppable iDom to win Evo last year. Kawano used his customary Kolin and defeated Philzz 2-0. The score might have been a tad flattering, but make no mistake, Kawano IS the Evo champion, and his gameplay showed that. He didn't show any nerves, and he took the game to give himself a leg up in the group. He also got to play again against Justakid, whose Juri is perhaps the best in the world. But Kawano showed his growing character versatility, picking Luke and also getting a 2-0 victory over Justakid.

For Justakid, it was a very disappointing day at the office. Having just come off winning Frosty Faustings, there was a lot of positivity over his potential at Capcom Cup, but Group B is so stacked that even a special talent like Justakid was made to look pretty vulnerable. He fought manfully against Phenom, pushing the Norwegian to his limits, but couldn't ultimately win the game.

Another player in some trouble is DoomSnake, who also lost to The4philzz and whose hopes are now hanging by a thread.  

Group C

Group C has so many interesting stories as it contains a colorful cast of characters. For instance, we have one of the favorites for Capcom Cup, Punk, and his defeat at the hands of VXbao is still sending shockwaves everywhere. Punk started his campaign against Frozen, and while he qualified using Luke, he chose to dabble in his bucket of characters. So he picked Cammy, which worked great against Frozen, and he won. However, his decision to pick Cody against VXbao, who was also using Cody, was a little surprising. It seemed a bit like Punk picking a mirror to establish dominance over a player. It backfired, and Punk lost his second game.

The other big story of the group was the debut of JabhiM, who has the distinct honor of being the first African to play at Capcom Cup. He lost both of his games, but there was enough in there to surprise many. He used Karin against VXbao, who was able to win the match, but only slightly. In his second game, which was against Brandon, he opted for Kolin, making use of her often maligned V-Trigger I. He was making some headway, but unfortunately, he was unable to close it out, and he lost to Brandon. 

Valmaster also defeated Brandon in his typically calm fashion, linking impossible combos to defeat his opponent. Since he played only once, he is currently behind VXbao in the standings, but there is a lot more to come from the Frenchman today. 

Group D

Group D has one of the most promising talents to come into the Street Fighter scene in quite a while in the person of EndingWalker. He played only one game and won it in his usual stoic manner. He defeated Bravery 2-0 to put himself in a good spot in the group. The leader of Group D, though, was, without a doubt, M.Lizard. The Korean Vega user was in fine form, winning both his matches against Ren from South Africa and Joe Umerogan. 

Ren, who was the other person from South Africa to make it, also lost both his games, and the odds of him qualifying are slim, but he still gave a really good account of himself. All eyes, though, will be on the match between EndingWalker and M.Lizard, as that is likely to determine who wins the group.

Group E

Watching Group E, the prevailing feeling was this— NL is STRONG. The South Korean is coming off the back of a very successful SFL season where his team, UYU, won the competition. NL has always been dominant, but it sometimes feels like he has some sort of block or the other. I personally thought this during the 2021 Red Bull Kumite in Las Vegas, where he was supposed to win but lost to Problem-X. He also endured a difficult SFL 4th season where character bans and other issues stopped him from really showing what he could do. But all that was forgotten as he won both his games with relative ease. His Luke looks imperious, and he really is something of a dark horse to win the whole thing.

The other winner on the day was the Bulgarian, Kalmal09, whose Ed also looks like a force to be reckoned with. VegaPatch lost his only game of the day, but knowing the Spaniard, it is far from over. 

Group F

The second 'group of death' lived up to its billing as we watched some of the very best players really go at it when facing opponents of a similar skill level. The first match was AngryBird versus the indomitable Travis Styles. Styles is easily one of the biggest exports from Australia, but AngryBird is an Evo top 8 competitor and a serial winner. AngryBird is also the player responsible for making Ken look top-tier this season. He took on Styles' Balrog and was the winner. 

Even with the billing as a group of death, quality tends to shine through, and that was the case with Mister Crimson, who was on hand to win both his games, including one against ChrisCCH. The West Coast giant is something of an upstart and has made a name for himself, taking down big names (and tearing their pictures). He took on Mister Crimson but was unable to beat the Frenchman. Crimson's second match was against another formidable foe in DCQ. DCQ was the mystery sauce for UYU's SFL winning season, and his Urien can only be described as a menace. He had already shown his prowess by defeating Uriel Velorio, but up against a confident Mister Crimson, his game plan came undone, and he had to submit to the superior firepower of Yoga. 

Anything can still happen in this group as there is still plenty to come from ChrisCCH, AngryBird, and DCQ. But, just as with Kawano, Mister Crimson does look like he has what it takes to win the group. 

Group G

Group G is an underrated group, but it is only so because of the addition of one man— Zhen. The Chinese player came from nowhere to take the LCQ, and with people still reeling, he established himself as a force of nature in the pools. He was up against two F.A.N.Gs, Mono and Mortsy. He was able to defeat both. His match against Mono was especially thrilling as Mono took him to the brink, but an improbable comeback in the final round was all it took for him to win against Mono.

Big Bird was quick to dispatch Geeck-O, but his second match was a blockbuster against Momochi. Big Bird had recently traveled to Japan to train and play with top players in that region, and it seems like the time there paid off as he was able to defeat Momochi in a nail-biting finale. That win felt huge, as it seemed to have gone a long way in deciding who would take top spot in the group. 

Momochi did win his other game, and will look to win any game he plays today. The group seems finely balanced as neither Momochi nor Mono can be counted out, but with Big Bird's growing confidence and the X-factor that is Zhen, this is an impossible group to call.

Group H

The final group had only five members, but there were still some intense matches. MenaRD was the pioneer defeating Pugera, who was really unlucky as a mistimed dash into super was his ultimate downfall. There is still all to play for, and the results of that group are up in the air. 

Day 2 will continue today, and the final standing will start to take on a clearer face. 

We can't wait