Can Liquid BLAST their way to a trophy?
Liquid may have only made one change to their lineup in 2022, but heading into the final tournament of the year that change could not have been more impactful. The addition of Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis, replacing a struggling Richard "shox" Papillon, has added unprecedented firepower to Liquid's arsenal. Despite the North American powerhouse having failed to claim a title this year, they made several serious playoff runs and even a grand-finals appearance at ESL Pro League Season 16. As the trophy drought for the storied organization creeps toward the three-year mark, we take a look at their potential opponents at the final tournament of 2022; BLAST World Finals.
Kicking off their run in Abu Dhabi, Liquid will have to go toe-to-toe with the newly anointed Major champions, Outsiders. This will be the first official match for Dzhami "Jame" Ali and co. since their triumph in Rio which begs the question, will we see a "Major hangover" from the Russian side?
This match-up will be the first meeting of the two sides since Outsiders were forced to abandon the Virtus.pro brand as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The last time these two teams came head to head, YEKINDAR was on the other side of the server representing the CIS team in a 2-1 series loss to Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo and Jake "Stewie2k" Yip at BLAST Fall Showdown 2021. Only four of the ten players who took to the server that day will be competing on the same side later today, making this match-up even more questionable. Undoubtedly YEKINDAR will be hoping for some bragging rights over his former side, but with the momentum of Rio behind the Russians it will be a very tough outcome to predict.
Waiting for Nick "nitr0" Cannella's squad in the following match will be either G2 or FaZe, depending on the results. Since YEKINDAR linked up with Liquid, G2 are yet to take a map off the NA lineup in three attempts. Liquid secured a BO1 victory at BLAST Fall groups which was preceded by a 2-0 victory at the most recent BLAST Fall Finals. G2's declining form since the additions of Justin "jks" Savage and Rasmus "HooXi" Nielsen will make them a more favorable match for NA's only representation, as a familiar face waits for them in the alternative match.
Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken is no stranger when it comes to Liquid, spending over three and a half years on the team before he traveled across the Atlantic to link up with FaZe. The tail end of 2022 has been less than spectacular for the superstar squad of FaZe, crashing out 0-3 at IEM Rio, failing spectacularly in their quest for the Intel Grand Slam in the process. Falling just short in the grand final of the BLAST Fall Finals, FaZe will be looking to end 2022 with a bang by claiming the BLAST World Finals trophy in Abu Dhabi. Star AWPer Helvijs "broky" Saukants looks to have returned to form following a lackluster Major campaign, making FaZe a serious threat to Liquid in Group A.
If Liquid are to make it out of Group A, formidable competition shall await them from Group B. Heroic have established themselves as a bonafide top team after a grand finals appearance at the IEM Rio Major, while also conquering FaZe to claim the BLAST Fall Finals title. Another familiar face for the Liquid organization could await them from Group B, as Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev's NAVI look to conclude their 2022 on a high note after a turbulent year outside of the server. Liquid could also be faced with a ghost from their past if they prevail from Group A as Vitality will be aiming to prove that their EPL Season 16 victory was no fluke. The biggest underdog from Group B comes in the form of OG, who's underwhelming performances in the BLAST circuit this year have left some puzzled as to how they qualified for the grand finale. Abdulkhalik "degster" Gasanov and co. cannot be taken likely though, with enough firepower on the lineup they are likely to cause an upset or two on their day.
With the season set to come to its conclusion, Liquid will be looking to conclude their campaign on a high note. The majority of the teams here have laid their hands on at least one notable title this year, with Liquid falling in with the minority. It was way back in 2020, during the online era when the North Americans lifted a trophy of note, and they will be hoping to end 2022 as they mean to continue in 2023. Conquering the competition and adding another trophy to the storied organization's cabinet.
