FaZe can't stop Cloud9 comeback
FaZe come into the Major not rock solid favourites as they were in Antwerp, having experienced rocky form since being the dominant Number one team before the Summer player break. Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken has continued his stellar form even through FaZe's dip and it would be hard to argue against him now being the greatest NA player to ever do it. On the other side of the server Cloud9 wanted to prove that their shaky Challengers stage form was just a blip.
FaZe and Cloud9 took the battle to Overpass, with it being a fairly comfortable map for both sides it was expected to be a tough opening match-up. However, FaZe showed they were in Rio to win as they stormed into a 10-1 lead, with Håvard "rain" Nygaard showing signs of the form that won him the MVP in Antwerp sitting at 17-4 after just Eleven rounds.
Cloud9 would pick up two rounds and have a shot to bring the gap at the half done to just five but a big round in the thirteenth which ended in a 5v5 fight on the A bombsite the CT team were able to lock out the Cloud9 attack and put themselves in firm control at the half with an 11-4 scoreline. Cloud9 are known for having a strong CT side, but it would take a mammoth effort ot overturn the deficit.
The all-important pistol round went the side of FaZe with the team making the most of their Glocks charging into the B site and opening it up with relative ease. The FaZe side converted the following USP round with no trouble and were three rounds away from locking up the first win on the road to defending their Major title.
Cloud9 would win the opening gun round however, and began to cause trouble for the international squad stringing together three rounds on the trot to close the gap to just five rounds. A complete shut-out on a fast B play from the FaZe side left them having to same once again and the comeback beginning to look increasingly likely.
In the 22nd round FaZe were forced onto the Deagles, but just in case the world had forgotten how dangerous FaZe's Deagles are, three bullets got them three kills and a real chance at stealing a round they had no right in winning. Sinking the Cloud9 comeback off the back of three $700 pistols. Cloud9 kept winning the gun rounds though, despite losing the A site over and over, with their B rotaters clutching out the rounds two rounds on the trot.
FaZe began to really struggle, a complete failure to find an opening in the 26th round left the T side broke and that CIS ability of being able to hang in games they look down and out in looked to show his strengths once again. It was IGL and rotater Vladislav "nafany" Gorshko that was causing all the pain, and he found two kills in the 28th to hold off the B push from FaZe and it would be enough to level up the game 14-14.
Cloud9 would complete the comeback with a 16-14 reversal and condemn FaZe and Twistzz to the 0-1 pool, which was already looking dangerous with them and Liquid being sent down early.
FaZeCloud9| FaZe |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Håvard 'rain' Nygaard |
23 - 20 | +3 | 84.9 | 60.0% | 1.24 |
 Russel 'Twistzz' Van Dulken |
20 - 17 | +3 | 81.2 | 66.7% | 1.13 |
 Helvijs 'broky' Saukants |
21 - 18 | +3 | 69.9 | 73.3% | 1.06 |
 Robin 'ropz' Kool |
20 - 19 | +1 | 57.1 | 70.0% | 0.92 |
 Finn 'karrigan' Andersen |
12 - 21 | -9 | 62.6 | 60.0% | 0.77 |
| Cloud9 |
K - D | +/- | ADR | KAST | Rating 2.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vladislav 'nafany' Gorshkov |
27 - 20 | +7 | 90.0 | 63.3% | 1.22 |
| Dmitry 'sh1ro' Sokolov |
21 - 17 | +4 | 67.1 | 66.7% | 1.04 |
 Abay 'HObbit' Khassenov |
19 - 23 | -4 | 69.8 | 60.0% | 0.95 |
| Timofey 'interz' Yakushin |
14 - 16 | -2 | 59.9 | 80.0% | 0.94 |
| Sergey 'Ax1Le' Rykhtorov |
14 - 20 | -6 | 66.9 | 66.7% | 0.85 |
