The review of ECS Season 7 - Finals

The technical part of the organization of the tournament left more to be desired this time and this is not surprising because the representatives of FACEIT were working on it who stood out with such things at the second Major tournament. Some matches, including the grand final, started with a delay and Russian-speaking casters had periodical losses of connection because of FACEIT. If we don’t consider technical issues, viewers liked the tournament in general because there were very interesting and extremely unpredictable matches.

The teams, which have disappointed

Ninjas in Pyjamas

We can confidently say that Ninjas in Pyjamas’ performance was the worst and most infamous at the past Esports Championship Series Season 7 - Finals. There was the more obvious contender on the title of the most disappointing team, Complexity Gaming, however, GeT_RiGhT and his teammates’ play was that bad that the Swedes can be called the worst participant of ECS #7 Finals for sure. By the way, this is not very surprising because Ninjas in Pyjamas made it to the LAN final due to they had earned the biggest number of points on the outcome of the league and not due to a victory in one of the first three series. NiP will not be able to secure their spot in the world rate where they place 9th, by the way. They will give way to at least two teams: NRG and FURIA, which are breathing down the Sweden roster’s neck.

Ninjas in Pyjamas won 11 matches in the first match against NRG and they also prevailed in 11 rounds in an elimination match against Astralis but this time, it was not on one but on two maps in total: 5 on Inferno and 6 on Overpass.

NiP held the last place in its group and the 7th-8th place in the general standings, respectively, having earned a money prize in the sum of $12,500 for their efforts.

MIBR

The Brazilian team was probably devastated after the first match with North, so didn’t cope with the main outsider of its group in the face of Complexity Gaming. It’s worth to remind that they were leading with a score 13-2 in the first match against the Danes from North, after which the last ones made a comeback and won with a score 25-23. They achieved victory only in 4 rounds on the first match in the match against Complexity, won the second one and stopped in two rounds from winning on the third battlefield. It’s worth to notice that pre-match odds on MIBR’s victory were equal to 1,06, while the ones in the favor of Complexity Gaming were equal to 6.

Just like Ninjas in Pyjamas, MIBR advanced to ECS Season 7 - Finals not due to a victory in one of the first three series but due to the first place in the regional rate on the outcome of five weeks. They placed 4th in their group too and finished the participation in the tournament one of the first, having received a money reward in the sum of $12,500.

Astralis

Astralis is the main disappointment of the past tournament. Many analysts, including us, placed Astralis first in the rate of participants of the event. Being the main favorite, Astralis achieved two key losses on its favorite map Nuke. They faced FURIA in the first match of the group stage where were defeated with a score 14-16 in a bo1 match. After that, they defeated NiP without leaving a chance to the last ones, on the outcome of which the Danes had to beat the Brazilians in the decider match for getting to the playoffs. In the match with FURIA, the teams played on Inferno, Mirage, and Nuke. Astralis had everything under control on Inferno and the team prevailed with a score 16-12. FURIA managed to rehabilitate quickly on Mirage, having won the map with a score 16-10. On Nuke, FURIA continued surprising Astralis with its unpredictable behavior and aggressive manner, on the outcome of which achieved victory on the Danes’ favorite map with a score 16-13.

In such a way, Astralis placed 5th-6th in the standings and gla1ve with his teammates received a money prize in the sum of $25,000. It’s possible that the Danish team will be luckier next time but now, we can clearly see what brings them the absence of official gaming practice and missing of various CS:GO championships.

The teams, which have performed as expected

Team Vitality

Before ECS Season 7 - Finals, Team Vitality held the fourth place in the world rate and the team is undoubtedly one of the best in the world and the best in France. Due to this reason, we are not surprised at all that Vitality advanced to the playoffs, having beaten Complexity Gaming on its way twice and lost a battle to North.

We expected to see the French in the top four and called them one of the main favorites to win the championship. Despite this, their victory was a small but surprise, however, their triumph cannot be called an unexpected turn of events. NBK- with his teammates are in a nice gaming shape and we were able to see two tournaments ago how the French defeated Team Liquid, the team that leads the top of the rate by HLTv at the moment, in the final of cs_summit 4 without special problems.

Team Vitality faced NRG Esports in the final stage where beat the last ones with a score 2-0. It’s worth to notice that the battle was not that easy because the match was brought to overtime on the first map where the final victory was achieved with a score 19-15 by the players of Vitality. They lost only 7 rounds to their opponents on the second map.

They met the Brazilians from FURIA Esports in the grand final and suddenly were the outsiders of the match, according to viewers and bookmakers, but not the obvious ones. All odds were better in the favor of FURIA and the majority of viewers believed in the opponents of the French team. However, Vitality beat KSCERATO and his teammates with a score 16-9 on Inferno, after which finished the started on Overpass, having lost only 4 rounds to the opponents.

Vitality has become the champion of Esports Championship Series Season 7 - Finals and if Astralis loses its positions now and the French are able to defeat Team Liquid, their chances to place first in the rate by HLTV might be not that bad as their might seem to be.

ZywOo and his teammates earned the main money prize in the sum of $225,000 for their efforts.

The participants, which have surprised with their performance

Complexity Gaming

Several participants surprised us at this championship. Complexity Gaming was one of them. Everything was surprising in their team. After the departure of stanislaw, there were changes in the team. The 15-years old player Owen Schlatter held Peter Jarguz’s position, for whom the performance at ECS #7 - Finals was a debut on a LAN scene. Dephh took the role of an in-game leader instead of stanislaw and the team was training with new roles and members during one week. This was the American team’s main weapon. All teams hadn’t prepared to fight with Complexity, considering the last ones to be a very weak opponent, however, dephh and his teammates managed to surprise their opponents for a number of times and used their sedated vigilance.

Complexity faced Vitality in the first match where won only 9 rounds, after which had to play against MIBR. As we said previously about the match between MIBR and Complexity, pre-match odds on the Brazilian team’s victory were equal to 1,06, while the ones in the favor of the Americans from Complexity amounted 6. Despite this, oBo with his new teammates managed to demonstrate a nice game and his debut at the LAN final of the professional stage can be called pretty successful for a reason. Playing against the two-time champions of the Major tournament, the schoolboy managed to make an ace against the team, which won a trophy at the first Major with the prize pool in the sum of $1,000,000 three years ago. By the way, he was only 12 then. Such a situation could not but glad oBo, on the outcome of which he led using motivation and brought his team to a victory with a score 2-1. The rest of the players didn’t leave unnoticed. It was clear that their individual level was better than the one we had got used to and dephh managed to cope with the captain’s responsibilities well.

Complexity held the 3rd place in its group, having outrun MIBR, and this can be called a great performance. The Americans placed 5th-6th in the general standings and earned a money prize in the sum of $25,000.

North

We had said in our preview that North had a chance to make it to the playoffs and would not probably become a participant of the grand final. We were right about that but we didn’t guess that North would place 1st but not 2nd in Group B and they would face not Astralis but FURIA Esports, which defeated the Danes quickly and advanced to the grand final, in the semi-final. If everything is that obvious, what are North doing in the category “The participants, which have surprised with their performance”? The answer is the first North’s match at ECS. The Danes showed for a number of times that they are like a train, which speeds up slowly but it’s difficult to stop it as a result. We noticed that North, being in the matchpoint zone, managed to win a couple of rounds in a row and finished the match in their favor even with a score 10-15 or even worse. Everything was way more complicated this time. Facing the players from MIBR on Inferno, it started from the success, not in the favor of North. Having a score 12-3, MIBR had time to relax, which was a fatal mistake for them. When it seemed that everything was over for Kjaerbye and his teammates, the Danes focused and had an incredible series of won rounds and, moving to CT, managed to restore the balance, bringing the match to overtime. An interesting thing is that the match was not over with one overtime and the result was decided only in the third extra-round series and the match finished with a score 25-23. Very clever bettors had a chance to catch odds in the sum of 16+ during the LIVE match and those who did that were happy with their risky but incredible winnings. In our view, North can be called the real kings of a comeback at the moment. After such a truly epic match, the team even beat Vitality, the team that became the champion of the competition. The second match finished with a score 2-1. After the first failed map, North managed to rehabilitate, having won the 2nd and 3rd map and lost 18 rounds totally. Having advanced to the semi-final, they had to face the main revelation of the championship, FURIA Esports. There, the Brazilians won the first map Inferno with a score 16-11. On Overpass, North was also fighting pretty well but they had to play in overtime as a result where FURIA prevailed in the second extra-round series with a score 22-20. North predictably made it to the playoffs and placed 3rd-4th, having earned $50,000 as a reward.

NRG Esports

NRG has been in a very bad gaming shape for a long time. They had been playing that bad that we determined them as one of the main outsiders in Group A. In fact, the Americans perfored the best in their group. Daps with his teammates beat the Swedes in the first match with a score 16-11, after which prevailed over FURIA with a score 2-0, having lost 23 rounds to the Brazilians. When NRG advanced to the playoffs, they had to face Team Vitality, which beat the American opponents with a score 2-0, making some efforts. It’s worth to notice that the match was over with a score 19-15 on the first map Overpass and the map was pretty difficult for both participants of the match. NRG Esports made a quick and easy way to the playoffs, after which finished the participation in the tournament on the 3rd-4th place. The Americans earned a money reward in the sum of $50,000 for their efforts.

An interesting fact: both teams, which had finished their participation in the group stage on the 1st place, were not able to make it to the grand final, having placed 3rd-4th in the standings.

FURIA Esports

The Brazilian team FURIA Esports is obviously the main revelation of the championship. FURIA defeated Astralis in the first match of the group stage on Nuke, their favorite map, with a score 16-14. It’s worth to notice in a special way that Astralis was two rounds away from a victory and far ahead of the Brazilians and when the score was 14-9 in the favor of the Danes, FURIA made an incredible series of six won rounds, on the outcome of which made all bookmakers richer and many expresses, which included Astralis’ victory, burned. FURIA faced NRG Esports in the next match. There, they showed good opposition but, despite this, the Brazilian team was not able to beat daps and his teammates. When KSCERATO with his allies advanced to the decisive match where they had to play against Astralis again, viewers divided into two camps. “It was good luck, - one camp stated. - They will not be able to win two maps in the match against Astralis”. The second one hoped that the Danes would be defeated by the players, from whom no one expected significant results. Astralis achieved victory on the first map Inferno with a score 16-12 and fans of the Danish team were feeling their victory and the joy from being right. However, despite this, the ones who believed in FURIA Esports’ victory were right as a result. Mirage, which came after Inferno, was over in the favor of FURIA and the last ones extended the match to one more map. The final match took place on Nuke, both teams’ favorite map. The match was equal but as a result, FURIA prevailed over their opponents with a score 16-13 and sent Astralis on a viewers’ bench.

In the semi-final, FURIA faced another Danish team North, which showed a great performance in the group stage. The first map was over with a score 16-11 and the second one finished with a result 22-20 in the favor of the Brazilians. arT with his teammates made it to the grand final where competed with Team Vitality. FURIA earned so much respect and trust from viewers at the tournament that they were considered to be the favorites but not the obvious ones, according to pre-match odds. This ratio was equal to 1,80 in their favor, while bookmakers gave 1,90 on Vitality. Unfortunately, the final match was absolutely uninteresting and one-sided. The match was over with a score 16-9 on Inferno and the Brazilian roster won only 4 rounds on Overpass. Despite this, FURIA Esports deserves a lot of respect because the team grew a lot in the short term and proved that it is worthy of attention. Roughly speaking, we can state after the tournament that FURIA now deserves the title of the best team in Brazilia. FalleN said in one of his interview with a lot of pride that he had taught KSCERATO how to play CS:GO a long time before and it seems that the lessons were not useless for Kaike Silva Cerato.

An interesting fact #1: The sum of the grabs of the CS:GO roster of FURIA Esports had amounted $143,449 before placing second at ECS #7 - Finals. Now, it is equal to $243,449. In such a way, the players increased the sum of earned grabs on 69.71% with the help of one successful performance.

An interesting fact #2: The famous professional Brazilian poker player Andre Akkari had promised the players from FURIA before the start of the championship to make a tattoo with the organization’s logo in the case of their victory over Astralis during any stage of the tournament. The poker player offered the founders of FURIA Esports to do the same and they agreed. As a result, the Brazilians beat Astralis during the group stage twice. In the second match, they even eliminated the Danes from the tournament. Andre Akkari wrote that he was preparing to make the promised and we, in turn, are waiting for photos with the expected proofs.