FaZe Will be Looking for Sweet Revenge in this Match
Let’s get it out of the way, for FaZe, results have dipped since the squad returned from the player break, with karrigan’s troops barely clinching a spot in the $425,000 BLAST Premier Fall Final LAN, before exiting ESL Pro League Season 16 from the quarter-finals, another 1-2 defeat to the Russians of Cloud9 forcing the team to watch the rest of another Big Event playoffs unfold from the sidelines.
While this might not fill FaZe fans full of confidence, especially in a time when there are plenty of rosters who are capable of racing to the top spot in the ranking, it does allow the side to iron out any wrinkles, and ensure they’re playing their A-game once their run through Rio begins.
Also, FaZe would be the fourth team to win the Intel Grand Slam should they secure a first-place finish at the IEM Rio Major. Similarly, Twistzz would become the first player in history to win the Intel Grand Slam on two separate occasions, the first being the fastest-ever win while he was with Liquid. FaZe were on track to clinch the award at ESL Pro League Season 16, but their quarter-final exit pushed the chance to win the gold bars and an additional $1,000,000 in prize pool money to the next stop, the IEM Rio Major.
Regardless, the European combine and the Canadian star is now on track to win the exclusive accolade, as they enter the Major as the overall favorites, even if they have fallen from atop the world ranking, and the pieces are in place for the team to receive $1,500,000 in prize money if they clinch the top spot at the event.
What Can Cloud9 Realistically Expect Now?
Unfortunately for C9, they have not completely run free of the demons that caused them to crumble in Stockholm, Antwerp, and Cologne, though their IEM Dallas victory was a solid first step. However, it is not like they only have an outside chance. They are ranked fifth in the world. They have two of the very best players in the world in sh1ro and Ax1Le, and HObbit has won a Major before.
A lot of the pressure is on nafany, who publicly admitted that he “ruined this tournament for his team” after IEM Cologne. “When you have an opening fragger who isn’t getting opening frags then it is obviously hard to play. And as an in-game leader, I was not so good this tournament,” he continued. His inconsistency individually is well-documented, his ultra-aggressive style leading to Cloud9 having to recover from 4v5 situations more often than they would like.
Yet, when nafany is on point, Cloud9 have as much firepower as any squad in the world. To win in Rio he does not need to solve his inconsistency permanently, he just needs to get in shape for this stage. Only a few best-of-threes stand in the way of Cloud9, it is not impossible that they time a purple patch perfectly and defeat FaZe as they did in Dallas.
FaZe vs Cloud9 Match Information
- Date: Saturday, November 5
- Time: 11:05 pm ET
- FaZe vs Cloud9Live Stream: Twitch.tv
FaZe vs Cloud9 Prediction
For Cloud9, there is not only external pressure but internal too. From the outside, repeating their top-four placing from Stockholm might be considered a success. But inside the team, defeat at any stage could be seen as the return of their ‘onliner’ tag, their mentality deserting them when they need it most once again.
On the other hand, FaZe may have slipped from the first-place spot on the world ranking recently, but they’re still the favorites at clinching the Major title. The roster itself is the definition of star-studded, from one of the most acclaimed in-game leaders in the world in karrigan, to the rejuvenated Norwegian legend of rain, making me feel confident in saying they should be able to start the event with a victory in their books.
The IEM Rio Major Legends Stage is just getting started, so make sure to stay tuned as we’ll be sharing our esports picks with you! Don’t forget to bet on esports at BetUS Sportsbook & Casino. We’ve plenty of CSGO odds for you to consider.
