- ForZe became the third team to qualify for the PGL Antwerp Major after defeating sAw
- The Russian squad lost the first map but crushed its Portuguese opponents on the next two maps
- More teams qualified for the PGL Antwerp Major after that
ForZe defeated sAw to become the third team qualified for the PGL Antwerp Major this May.
ForZe Rose from the Ashes
The Russian esports team forZe has defeated its Portuguese competitor sAw during the Regional Major Ranking in Europe. Thanks to this, the former squad has become the third European team to qualify for the PGL Antwerp CS:GO Major. ForZe almost lost after receiving an upset in the first game but managed to spring back and secure two maps in a row.
The game could have gone either way, considering that sAw have the experience and forZe have the brawn. In the end, the latter team prevailed, securing itself a spot in the PGL Major. The Portuguese team will have a chance to avenge its loss as it will have one more shot at the PGL Major if they perform well in the Regional Major Ranking event in Belgium.
It will be interesting to see sAw rise from the ashes and challenge forZe once again. However, this rematch isn’t set in stone. In the meantime, let’s take a look at how the Russian squad secured its place in the Major.
SAw Couldn’t Deal with forZe’s Momentum
The first map, Nuke, was picked by sAw. It soon became obvious that this is a well-thought-out move as the Portuguese competitors quickly gained an advantage, winning seven rounds as terrorist players. However, their efforts started lacking in the next few rounds as forZe started gaining momentum. In the end, sAw managed to win the map by the skin of their teeth with a 16-14 result.
The second map, Dust2, was much harder for the Iberian squad. Their Russian competitors were much more experienced with the map and decimated sAw’s resistance, allowing the Portuguese players to win no more than three games. In the end, the match concluded with a 16-3 result on forZe’s side.
The third map, Inferno, didn’t go any better for sAw. Its Russian opponents managed to maintain their momentum and crushed sAw with a final result of 16-3.
Thanks to this, ForZe has become the third European team to qualify for the PGL Major. Right now BIG, Heroic, Natus Vincere, FaZe Clan and FURIA Esports are all qualified as Legends while several other teams qualified as Challengers (MIBR, Team Vitality, Imperial Esports) and Contenders (Eternal Fire, Outsiders, Complexity Gaming, IHC Esports, Renegades, Team Liquid, 9z team).
The PGL Antwerp Major begins on May 9.