Spirit have made quick work of the defending Major champions with a 2-0 victory to reach the Semi-Finals of the ESL Pro League Season 24. A dominant opening map followed by a close second, Spirit stood the Falcons’ test in style as they booked their semi-final clash against a MOUZ side with hot hands.
VETO
- Spirit removed Inferno
- Falcons removed Cache
- Spirit picked Mirage
- Falcons picked Anubis
- Spirit removed Nuke
- Falcons removed Ancient
- Dust2 was left over
Map 1: Mirage; Pick: Spirit; Winner: Spirit
Winning the pistol, the Falcons concluded their highlights of the first half. A superior offensive display systematically broke down the Falcons’ defence. Dominant throughout the entirety of the first half, a highly slow and methodical approach, exploiting mid-round after round, earned them 9 rounds. A pistol round win ensured Spirit hit the map point first with a massive buffer before the Falcons started pulling in rounds. Winning 5 rounds in a row, Falcons threatened to push the game to OT before a successful retake in A by Spirit closed the game with a 13-8 scoreline. With donk falling behind, tN1R picked up the slack with 24 kills to his name.
Map 2: Anubis; Pick: Falcons; Winner: Spirit
A 3-0 start for Spirit got levelled in no time as Falcons hit back with three of their own. As the half progressed, Spirit and Falcons matched each other to the extent that the CIS squad barely edged out in the more favourable side of Anubis with a 7-5 lead. A contact B rush helped Falcons start the second half with a win, only for donk to score a 3K and take away their momentum. Winning their first round on the defence, Spirit raced to the series point, after which Falcons started mounting rounds. Another futile attempt at a comeback earned Falcons double digits before Spirit closed the map with a 13-10 win. Donk, along with his IGL magixx, topped the charts with 24 kills each, earning them a spot in the semi-finals with a dominant 2-0 performance.
Falcons’ failure to get going on either map sparks concern as fans are still looking for the team that won the Major. Post-Major, Falcons have failed to yield anything significant, and as the final Major of 2026 approaches, there couldn’t be a better time for this side to pull up their socks. Not only have they failed to deliver, but their embarrassing defeat at the hands of Spirit has brought their journey to an end.
