Team Vitality are the champions of the ESL Pro League Season 24, beating MOUZ with a 3-0 scoreline. Champions in back-to-back tournaments, Vitality have reclaimed their throne as the best team in the world. With a terrifying performance ahead of the Major, a convincing win in the first two maps, and a display of resilience in the third, Vitality delivered one of their most polished performances in recent times to claim a premier trophy and the lion’s share of the million dollars.
VETO
- Vitality removed Ancient
- MOUZ removed Anubis
- Vitality picked Cache
- MOUZ picked Inferno
- Vitality picked Dust2
- MOUZ picked Mirage
- Nuke was left over
Map 1: Cache; Pick: Vitality; Winner: Vitality
Starting strong on their defence with 4-0, MOUZ kept Vitality on the back foot to start the game. Winning the first round gave Vitality the much-needed momentum that turned the tide. A slow and methodical approach helped Vitality remain flawless for the rest of the game as the half closed 7-5. Winning the pistol, MOUZ took the lead once again but only to drop the ball from the gun round onwards. Winning the first round on the defence, Vitality managed to put together a 6-round streak that closed the half with a 13-8 scoreline. Zyw0o topped the charts with 21 kills, helping the team get an early lead in the series.
Map 2: Inferno; Pick: MOUZ; Winner: Vitality
Having won the first map, Vitality got off to a dominant start. As MOUZ kept chasing, Vitality losing a round became a rare sight, with only 3 rounds going the other way. The 9-3 scoreline ended the first half. The second began with both teams trading rounds and converting their respective force-buys. Despite MOUZ trying their best on the defence, Vitality’s massive lead from the first half came in handy as they pushed the game over the line with little effort, closing the game with a 13-7 scoreline.
Map 3: Dust2; Pick: Vitality; Winner: Vitality
Following a tough defeat, MOUZ managed to hit the ground running on the defence of D2. The 5-1 lead to start the game was quick to fade away, with Vitality finding its stride later in the half. With 6 rounds in a row, Vitality managed to edge out a lead before closing the half with a 7-5 scoreline. The lead vanished with MOUZ converting 3 rounds straight in the second half before Vitality could hit the board. Having mounted a solid offence that brought them to map point, MOUZ let Vitality have 3 rounds in a row to push the game to OT. Overtime saw Vitality secure a perfect defence as perfect reads paved the way for them to go flawless. With a 3-0 cushion, Vitality secured a clean win on their first round of the T side to close the map with a 16-12 win, securing a monumental win off the back of a 25-14 performance from Zyw0o.
MOUZ’s playoff woes have found their way back to them again. Having struggled throughout the year, there couldn’t have been a better time for MOUZ to take down Vitality. The poor performance from MOUZ not only speaks to the lack of fortitude but also unearths the lack of depth in their map pool. With a Major on the horizon, there couldn’t be a better time for MOUZ to get going under their new IGL.
Vitality’s securing of a major trophy is bound to be a confidence booster. With the roster struggling to find consistency, back-to-back trophies will do wonders as we near the end of the season. With Spirit looking shaky and Falcons failing in the second half of the season, the road is all open for Vitality to return to the apex of the Counter-Strike mountain.
