Reaching the Grand Final in United21 Season 9

On December 19, Talent team clashed with the Polish team Illumiar in the United21 League Season 9 grand final. Despite a fierce and determined effort, Andreas 'kiR' Kirstein and his teammates were ultimately beaten by their opponents.

December 22, 2023
  • Date: December 19, 2023
  • Tournament: United21 League Season 9 (Online)
  • Format: Playoffs, Grand Final
  • Match: vs. Illumiar
  • Result: Talent team defeated in a 1-2 series (13-9 on Vertigo, 8-13 on Mirage, 7-13 on Overpass)

On December 19, Talent team clashed with the Polish team Illumiar in the United21 League Season 9 grand final. Despite a fierce and determined effort, Andreas 'kiR' Kirstein and his teammates were ultimately beaten by their opponents.

The Danes triumphed on their chosen map, Vertigo, dominating the first half on the T-side with a strong offensive showing and finishing the duel 13-8 on the CT side.

However, the Talent team struggled on Mirage, which was Illumiar's map pick, particularly on the CT side in the first half, falling behind 3-9 and eventually losing 13-8.

The decisive map, Overpass, saw kiR and his team facing a significant deficit of 11-1 in the first half due to a lackluster offensive performance. Despite a valiant comeback attempt in the second half, they couldn't turn the tide and lost the map 13-7.

Despite this setback, the Talent team, under the guidance of head coach Alexander 'alexsomfan' Nielsen, has much to be proud of.

They performed remarkably in the tournament's playoff stage, leading Group C in the group phase.

The Danes made the playoffs, where they first lost to Illumiar 2-0 in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. Undeterred, they achieved four consecutive victories, defeating The Prodigies Sweden 2-0, Passion UA 2-1, and then both Permitta Esports and Nexus Gaming 2-0 in the Lower Bracket Semi-final and the Lower Bracket Final, respectively.

This impressive run took them from the Lower Bracket Round 1 to the Grand Final.

The Talent team earned second place and a prize of $1,500.

In the grand final, Jason 'JBOEN' Boe Nielsen was a standout for the Danes, achieving a +10 kill-death difference (53-43) and a 1.26 rating, second only to Wojciech 'Prism' Zięba's 1.29 rating.