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Monte secured the final playoff spot at ESL Pro League S19 after a tough journey through Group C.
They replaced FURIA, who exited the Counter-Strike 2 tournament after managing wins only against Bad News Kangaroos and ENCE.
Sergey “lmbt” Bezhanov, Monte’s coach, remained realistic about their victory, acknowledging it as a minimum goal but not underestimating the challenges ahead.
Congratulations @Monte_Esports! 🥳🥳
They are the last team from the group stage to advance to the #ESLProLeague Season 19 playoffs 🎊 pic.twitter.com/svldA51LNV
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 5, 2024
He lamented their loss to Team Liquid and the mistakes made against FURIA, especially a critical 5v2 fumble on the first map.
Despite the victory, lmbt emphasized that Monte still had much to improve upon, evident in their match against FURIA.
Although they looked well-coordinated on Nuke, they let the map stay close, eventually winning in overtime.
Mirage seemed like it would be a quick 2-0 for Monte, but FURIA rallied, leading to a Vertigo decider where Monte secured the win, propelled by crucial rounds from Sergiy ‘DemQQ’ Demchenko and Jack ‘Gizmy’ von Spreckelsen.
FlyQuest secured their spot at the ESL Pro League Season 19 playoffs with a convincing 2-0 (13-7, 13-6) victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas’ makeshift lineup.
FlyQuest’s captain, Christopher “dexter” Nong, credited their win to good preparation and a positive mindset.
The first Australian Counter-Strike team to make #ESLProLeague playoffs in 11 seasons 👀@FlyQuestCS ARE IN THE #ESLProLeague S19 PLAYOFFS! 👏@dextersjourney @aliStair_CS @vexite_ @liazzgo @inscsgo @erkaStCSGO pic.twitter.com/Rbs02eTxUW
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) May 5, 2024
Declan ‘Vexite’ Portelli shone on Ancient, despite previous struggles, while Joshua ‘INS’ Potter played a crucial role on the CT side.
FlyQuest’s dominance continued on Vertigo, with dexter leading the charge.
Vexite’s taunt towards Ninjas in Pyjamas highlighted their confidence and control of the match, closing it out decisively.
Ninjas in Pyjamas, with two stand-ins, faced challenges in Malta.
Coach Richard ‘Xizt’ Landström emphasized simplicity and working with the available pieces.
He hinted at an imminent announcement regarding the team’s full roster.
Ninjas in Pyjamas will regroup at home to finalize their roster, while FlyQuest, the first Australian team in 11 seasons to make the EPL playoffs, will continue their journey in Malta, focusing on evolving their game under pressure and building structure under dexter’s leadership.
Vexite highlighted the team’s newfound confidence with structured gameplay, aiming to further develop their style with each game.
The first playoff series will kick off on Tuesday, May 7, with the grand final set to be played on Sunday, May 12.
