- Both teams won a map 16-14 before the final encounter
- The technical breaks seemed to work in NaVi’s favor on the last map
- NaVi’s next match will be against G2 on September 30
ESL Pro League Season 16 viewers were treated to a spectacularly close match which saw NaVi emerge victorious and go to the quarterfinals.
NaVi Defeats Heroic
The ESL Pro League Season 16 is in full swing at the Salini Resort in Malta and teams from around the globe are duking it out for glory and a piece of the $835 000 prize pool. Ukrainian organization Natus Vincere is one of the leading favorites, and it has recently defended its status by defeating the Danish organization Heroic and moving into the tournament’s quarterfinals.
It has not been an easy ride for NaVi, with technical issues plaguing the match and even players complaining of the horrible accommodations that the ESL allegedly put them into. But despite all the issues, the team managed to pull through a difficult encounter with Heroic.
NaVi’s climb towards the quarterfinals was hindered not only by the stiff resistance of their Danish opponents but also by the many technical breaks. However, it may seem that these actually helped the Ukrainian team as they gave the players a much-needed break and an opportunity to recollect their thoughts and rethink their strategy.
It Was a Close Match
The two teams first met on Mirage where Heroic’s in-game leader Casper “cadiaN” Møller undoubtedly emerged as the team’s MVP. He practically carried his team on his back, scoring many kills and being instrumental in the taking of many close rounds. Ultimately, however, his heroics were not enough and NaVi took the map with a nail-biting 16-14.
The following map was Inferno, which saw NaVi’s Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev wake up and score 28 kills. But the Danish team pushed back, fighting hard and close, ultimately taking the map in a very close 14-16 in their favor.
With both teams taking the same number of maps and even the same number of rounds, it was still anyone’s game. The last map, and the decider of the match, was Overpass, which saw many technical issues happen to both teams. However, it seems that these were just enough to give NaVi time to recollect and rethink because they managed to get a substantial lead on Heroic. This ultimately led to the Ukrainian team taking the map with a convincing 16-7, winning the match and securing a spot in the quarterfinals.
NaVi’s next match will be on September 30 against G2’s revitalized international roster.
