Aurora is the first team to reach the semi-finals of the IEM Cologne Major, beating BetBoom by a 2-0 scoreline. Dominant performances in back-to-back maps saw the Turkish side put up a statement win after many considered them an underdog making a Cinderella run through the tough brackets.
VETO
- BetBoom removed Inferno
- Aurora removed Ancient
- BetBoom picked Nuke
- Aurora picked Anubis
- Aurora removed Mirage
- BetBoom removed Overpass
- Dust2 was left over
Map 1: Nuke; Pick: BetBoom; Winner: Aurora
BetBoom’s conversion of the pistol gave them the early lead before Aurora converted the gun round to hit the board. Building on the success of the first gun round, Aurora put together a streak of 5 before BetBoom managed to make the scoreline competitive with a streak of their own. Switching sides with a 7-5 scoreline, BetBoom’s defense failed as Aurora, with their methodically played offense, picked the Russian side apart, walking all over them to close the map with a dominant 13-6 scoreline, securing their opponents’ pick. Stalwart rifler XANTARES, grabbing 24 frags, put his side 1-0 up to open the series.
Map 2: Anubis; Pick: Aurora; Winner: Aurora
Aurora’s pistol round win put them on winning ways in the less favored side of Anubis. As BetBoom found their footing late into the game, the Russian side managed to level the scoreline before switching sides. With 6 rounds to their name, Aurora put up a 5-round streak to start their offense, leading to an 11-5 scoreline before BetBoom could find their first round on the CT side. Despite winning a few rounds, Aurora’s massive lead proved to be a mountain too high for them to climb as the game closed with a 13-9 scoreline. AWPer woxic, dropping a masterclass on defense, laid the foundation for Aurora’s statement win that will see them reach the semi-finals.
Now that Aurora has started to click on the big stage, no team is outside their reach, and with experience and skill by their side, something tells us that a Grand Finals spot might be a reality. Only time can tell if they come out on top tomorrow, but as of now, they have a historic win to celebrate.
