FaZe pulled off a monster comeback.
FaZe Clan beat Gambit Esports 2-1 in the Quarterfinals of the IEM Cologne to advance to the Semis. The American team pulled themselves from the depths of a first match loss to win the series.
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The two teams started off on Ancient, where Gambit quickly asserted their dominance. It was not until the 12th round that FaZe could take a bout in their favor, making the score 11-1. Nonetheless, the first match still looked heavily in Gambit’s favor. At least that is what everyone else thought. FaZe had other ideas. They proved how a game of Counter-Strike is never over until the last round. Stacked against FaZe’s CT-side defense, Gambit couldn't take sites or implement their game plan. Some great plays from Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken and Håvard “rain” Nygaard helped the team eventually make a comeback and win the first match 13-16.
The second match on Overpass was nail-bitingly close. Gambit had a great opportunity to close the game before overtime, but they failed to contain FaZe. However, the Russians still ended up winning the match with a score of 22-20. The first match had instilled confidence in FaZe and that the second match being close was a reminder for Gambit to step up their game.
The deciding match on Inferno tested Gambit’s resilience. They started off well but FaZe were smart enough to take sites on the T-side, ending the first half 9-6 in their advantage. The second half saw incredible plays from the American team, especially Helvijs “broky” Saukants, who did his job well, landing 24 frags with a K/D of 1.65. FaZe won 9-16 in the last match.
With their victory over Gambit Esports, FaZe will now face world number two Natus Vincere. On the other side of the road, Astralis beat Virtus.pro 2-1 to face G2 Esports in the Semifinals.
Featured Image: ESL
