Team Falcons is in the semi-finals of ESL Pro League Season 22, beating 3DMAX in a tough affair of a 2-1 score line. NiKo and m0NESY showcased one of their best performances in the Falcons‘ colors that will see them through to the next round of play. If recent performances are anything to go by, the team is finally playing at a level expected of them, and if they can uphold this, we might see them go all the way here at Pro League.
VETO
- 3DMAX removed Mirage
- Falcons removed Overpass
- 3DMAX picked Inferno
- Falcons picked Ancient
- 3DMAX removed Train
- Falcons removed Dust2
- Nuke was left over
Map 1: Inferno; Pick: 3DMAX; Winner: 3DMAX
3-0 start for 3DMAX put Falcons in recovery mode right off the bat, and what followed afterwards was 3DMAX made trading rounds till the point they closed the first half with an 8-4 lead. Falcons’ defense crumbled like a paper ball, and while their offense got them more rounds, it was far from enough to stop 3DMAX, who went on to win the map with a 13-9 score line. 19 kills from Ex3rcice helped 3DMAX take an early lead in the series against a star-studded Falcons team.
Map 2: Ancient; Pick: Falcons; Winner: Falcons
3DMAX started with a pistol win yet again, but Falcons recovered from the deficit really quickly, leading them 9-3 up and putting together a smooth streak of rounds. Switching sides with a decent lead, the Falcons had their advantage cut significantly with a 4-round streak from the French side, upon which the Falcons hit them back with a streak of their own to win the map with a 13-7 score line. 1.96 IR off 23 kills put the Falcons 1-1 in the series.
Map 3: Nuke; Pick: Decider; Winner: Falcons
Starting their defense with a pistol round conversion, 3DMAX had their momentum snatched away by Falcons, who in return went to put up a streak of 7 rounds before the French side could get back on the board. Falcons managed two more rounds in the first half while giving away one more before closing the half with a 9-3 lead. The streak of not winning a pistol in this series continued for the Falcons, but they recovered after dropping 3 rounds. However, a force buy round broke the Falcons’ economy, taking them to OT. The first half saw a flawless OT from the Falcons, followed by NiKo and m0NESY’s 2v2 conversion to bring home the series for the Falcons. 23 kills and 1.46 IR from NiKo saw another masterclass from him on Nuke to send 3DMAX packing.
3DMAX’s journey came to an end here in the Pro League, but a valiant effort throughout the tournament would have the world believe that they cannot be taken lightly at any round of the tournament. As of now, there are still major names left, and the road here for the Falcons will be anything but easy unless the stars perform at the level they did today.