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Team Spirit showcased their prowess as they stormed into the IEM Dallas playoffs with a convincing 2-0 victory over the Major Champions, Natus Vincere.
Dominating on Ancient with a 13-4 win and following up with a 13-8 triumph on Nuke, Spirit demonstrated their meticulous preparation and tactical brilliance.
Having only competed at BetBoom Dacha in Belgrade since the PGL Major Copenhagen, where they placed second, Spirit used the event as a warm-up for their true goal: another Intel Extreme Masters title.
It's looking like Katowice all over again…@Team__Spirit are the THIRD team locked into the #IEM Dallas 2024 PLAYOFFS! 🔒@chopperis @donk1337 @magixx772 @sh1rocsgo @zont1x977 pic.twitter.com/HfJlf2z3MC
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 28, 2024
Their preparation, including a two-week holiday followed by a bootcamp and ten days of practice from home, clearly paid off.
Spirit’s dominance was evident from the start, as they crushed FlyQuest 13-1 in their opener before dispatching NaV in under two hours.
Danil “donk” Kryshkovets noted their crucial clutches on Ancient and Nuke, crediting luck for some pivotal rounds but underscoring their tactical prowess.
Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov and Sergey “hally” Shavaev’s strategic calls were instrumental, particularly in adapting late on Nuke.
While donk and Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov had their moments, it was Boris “magixx” Vorobiev and Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia who shone, proving that Spirit’s depth extends beyond their star players.
For NaVi, the defeat was a setback, dropping them to the lower bracket where they will face Heroic.
Despite their Counter-Strike 2 Major win in Copenhagen, questions about their roster remain unresolved.
Justinas “jL” Lekavicius, the MVP of the Major, struggled against Spirit, while Mihai “iM” Ivan’s inconsistent performances continue to raise doubts about his future.
NaVi’s current state reflects a team with strong gameplans but lacking the firepower to consistently vie for trophies.
Their regression from Major champions to struggling contenders adds pressure on Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodenskiy’s squad to regain their top form.
Later on, FaZe Clan secured their playoff spot following a hard-fought 2-1 win over Virtus.pro in the Group B upper bracket semi-finals.
In true FaZe fashion, they staged a remarkable comeback, overcoming the brink of defeat on Inferno to win in overtime, followed by a tight 13-11 victory on Ancient.
Inferno saw FaZe nearly squander an 11-4 lead, but David “frozen” Čerňanský’s late heroics secured the win.
Despite a momentum-breaking tech pause due to Steam maintenance, FaZe’s resilience shone through.
Ancient was a back-and-forth affair, with Virtus.pro initially gaining an 8-4 lead on the T side.
However, Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s brilliant quad-kill in round 15 and astute rotational calls late in the game clinched the win for FaZe, despite Denis “electroNic” Sharipov’s efforts to counter.
THE 4TH TEAM IN THE #IEM DALLAS 2024 PLAYOFFS 🔜@FaZeClan 🥳@karriganCSGO @FaZe_rainCS @FROZENNcs @ropz @broky @neo_fkubski #IEM100 pic.twitter.com/0jtcWqiEKH
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 28, 2024
With their victories, FaZe and Spirit are set to clash in the seeding match for the semi-finals, promising a thrilling encounter following their intense quarter-final at PGL Major Copenhagen.
Meanwhile, Virtus.pro face BIG in the lower bracket, needing two consecutive wins to secure a playoff spot.
Wednesday’s IEM Dallas fixtures
- Natus Vincere (-277.78) vs Heroic (+200) @ 12pm CDT
- Virtus.pro (-277.78) vs BIG (+200) @ 12pm CDT
- 9z (+400) vs Team Vitality (-714.29) @ 3pm CDT
- FaZe Clan (+137) vs Team Spirit (-188.68) @ 3pm CDT
- G2 Esports (-153.85) vs Team Liquid (+121) @ 6pm CDT
- Winner of NaVi/Heroic vs Winner of Virtus.pro/BIG @ 6pm CDT
