Valorant team LOUD defeated Team Liquid 2-1 in the playoffs of 2022 VCT Masters Reykjavik. They will be moving up the bracket and will face G2 Esports in the semifinals.
Many may think that the Brazilian team had it easy after they earned an automatic spot in the playoffs after winning the Brazilian Challengers One event. Team Liquid had to go through several levels, fighting against KRU Esports and Xerxia Esports to earn a spot in the playoffs. But LOUD proved that they were worthy of their spot in Thursday's match, giving the audience an intense match.
Icebox Map Closes with a Tie
The match started on the Icebox map, where Liquid won in the first two rounds, according to a report by Dot Esports. It seemed that things were going their way, but in the next five rounds, LOUD crushed them through clever strategies such as baiting out their abilities. It wasn't until Round 8 when Liquid finally got back on their feet, but LOUD was still able to pull a few tricks because of their surplus of credits. The final half ended with LOUD stopping Liquid from retaking B site, and gaining a two-round lead.
In the second pistol round, Liquid tried to secure site A, but changed their strategy and moved towards site B, instead. Liquid's Jamppi went through mid and was able to kill 3 enemies, which led his team to tie with LOUD.
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Liquid Makes A Comeback On Haven
The next map was Haven, where Liquid still dominating, with Nivera providing 4 kills. However, LOUD was resilient and stopped ScreaM's clutch in round six. Liquid dominated the rest of the first half and ended the second half with a 10-2 scoreline.
Liquid was on a roll in the next few rounds. They were able to win the second pistol round, which gave them a headstart. But LOUD kept foiling their plans, stopping the spike they planted. Liquid only had enough time to stop LOUD from doing further damage and was able secured site A, tying the series 1-1.
LOUD was brutal on Ascent
On the Ascent Map, Liquid's L1NK was able to secure an ace for the team, but LOUD's pancada killed several players and almost secured a clutch. Liquid won the round, keeping the momentum they established in round 2.
After a break, LOUD went on a serious rampage in an effort to bounce back. Liquid failed to retake site B. They managed to kill the enemy team but their economy was seriously depleted. In round 7, Liquid was forced to use only light armor and pistols. Jamppi secured a clutch in round 8 using his Jett's ultimate ability. After an exchange of blows, the second half-closed with another tie at 6-6.
While Liquid won rounds 14 and 15, they seemed to fail in the next few rounds. Liquid saw the worst of LOUD as the latter went on to win the next four rounds. Liquid tried to close the gap with their win in round 20, but it seemed too late as LOUD cleared the entire Ascent map, ending the match with 13-10 win.
Per a separate report by Dot Esports, LOUD will move on to the upper bracket of the semifinals, where they will face G2 Esports on Sunday, April 17. Team Liquid still has a chance to reclaim their spot as they face ZETA Division on Saturday, April 16.
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Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by Fred Layno