The Valorant Champions 2023 tournament is in full motion and day 5 brought us the first elimination games. Two big teams didn't survive the day.
Elimination games hold immense stakes, often compared to grand finals. Day 5 of Champions witnessed two such matches resulting in two teams exiting the event.
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Valorant: LOUD Annihilates Team Liquid
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The first match of the day featured LOUD against Team Liquid, promising intense gameplay from both sides. The brink of elimination poses substantial mental challenges, which can influence the game's outcome unpredictably.
Loud had already suffered an upset in their initial match against DRX, adding pressure to their performance. The Brazilian team needed to rise to the occasion, as an early exit from the event and defending their title was not an option.
Haven was given to LOUD by TL, which they capitalized on. They exploited their map pick effectively, establishing a commanding 10-2 lead at halftime, showcasing their resilience against the DRX upset. In the second half, they clinched the map with three consecutive round wins, securing Map 1 for themselves.
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Team Liquid's map pick was Split, and there was some improvement in Map 2, but it wasn't enough to counter the dominant Brazilians. The first half concluded at 6-6, leaving the match's outcome uncertain. In the second half, Liquid won the pistol round and the subsequent round, but then faced a seven-round loss streak, becoming the first team to exit Champions 2023.
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Match results:
- Map 1 Haven: LOUD 13-2 Team Liquid
- Map 2 Split: LOUD 13-8 Team Liquid
- Decider Map Lotus: DNP
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Valorant: T1 Overpowers FPX & Survives Group B
In the second elimination match, two Asian teams fought to advance from Group B. T1 commenced FPX's Map Pick Lotus with a swift and clean pistol round. The match fluctuated throughout both games, with T1 ultimately securing FPX's map pick with a 13-10 victory.
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FPX managed to qualify for Champions Los Angeles as the third Chinese team. They faced Bind as their opponent's map pick, striving to force a Map 3 and keep their Champions hopes alive. AAAY's solid performance included a 4K in the fifth round, yet T1 dominated the first half with a 9-3 score.
Although T1 lost momentum after winning the pistol round and faced four consecutive round losses, they managed to dispel the "9-3 curse." They secured a crucial round win in the 18th round and ultimately won Map 2 with a 13-7 score, resulting in FPX's exit from Champions during the group stage.
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Match results:
- Map 1 Lotus: T1 13-10 FPX
- Map 2 Bind: T1 13-7 FPX
- Decider Map Ascent: DNP
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For more content:
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