After a decisive win in a 2-0 series over FaZe in the Group A upper bracket semi-final, our Main team clinched a spot in the ESL Pro League S19 playoffs. The match against Finn "karrigan" Andersen's squad was the third clash within two weeks. Having previously lost to FaZe in the semi-finals at IEM Chengdu, the stage was perfectly set for an intense BO3 rematch in Malta.
A showdown with 3DMAX is up next in the Group A Upper Final, scheduled for Saturday, April 27, at 16:30 CEST. The victor will advance directly to the quarter-finals, while the loser moves on to Playoffs Round 2.
We spoke with Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard, the top fragger of the FaZe fight, about the dominant win and the upcoming matchup against the French roster.
"We need to prepare the same way we have for all our previous matches, and we mustn't underestimate 3DMAX, even though they are a lower-ranked team. However, their 2-0 record speaks for itself, and they've quickly advanced to the playoffs here in Malta."
"We need to maintain the confidence from our win against FaZe and the momentum we've achieved from two consecutive playoff advancements at big LAN tournaments. We have to continue striving for more victories, which I'm sure we will.'"
Since our recent successful stint at IEM Chengdu, dev1ce and Co., earning 416 points, have secured a spot as No. 13 on the ESL World Ranking, while the Frenchmen are currently ranked 54th with 19 points.
jabbi arose as the top performer on our map pick, Ancient, leading the scoreboard with the most kills (25) and achieving the highest rating (1.40).
br0 led in first assists (7) on the Ancient scoreboard, while our team executed four successful clutches in total, narrowly edging out FaZe's three.
stavn went into beast mode on Nuke, delivering another impressive performance at the ESL Pro League S19. The 22-year-old rifler not only secured the most kills (23) but also dealt the most damage (119.9) and boasted the highest rating (1.65).
What do you say about your performance against FaZe?
"It was perfect, and of course, it's great to beat FaZe again after losing to them in the semi-finals in Chengdu. Having already advanced to the playoffs was our sub-goal for this tournament, so it's super positive. We had prepared well for this duel, as we do for every match. Then, we played on our terms, which is crucial for this lineup to function well," says jabbi.
You executed the T-side flawlessly but nearly squandered a significant lead when switching to CT; what factors contributed to the game tightening up on Ancient?
"We were playing too defensively at first. Eventually, we shifted back to playing on our terms, taking away the space we had given them. That's where our strengths come into play. We quickly built a big lead but became overly cautious, perhaps allowing them too much room. We hesitated to push forward and close out the match. We mustered up our courage, stuck to our usual game plan, and it worked out."
The T-side on Nuke was also pure class; what works so well for you guys there?
"dev1ce's calls on Nuke were crucial. His strategic decisions gave us an advantage. We performed well in 3v3 and 4v4 scenarios, handling mid-round challenges effectively. Our teamwork was solid, with excellent support and communication among us all. This well-coordinated team effort led to victory," jabbi states.
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