Counter-Strike 2
MOUZ through to PGL Cluj-Napoca semis over paiN
MOUZ have secured a spot in the PGL Cluj-Napoca semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over paiN. The match was by no means one-sided, however, as it took going the distance, 13-11, on both Inferno and Mirage.
xertioN takes on more responsibility
Dorian "xertioN" Berman shined on Inferno, MOUZ's punish pick against paiN, a map that could have gone either and was only resolved in the 24th round. The Israeli entry-fragger had a strong performance with 20 frags, five of them first kills, and 110 ADR.
"It’s early on to say I’m rejuvenated or playing really well or something because it’s only the beginning, but I’m really happy to have roles that require more responsibility," xertioN said in his post-match interview on the broadcast.
"I think I’m pretty good at communicating so we decided that we’re going to use my strength with that. I’m happy I get that trust and I just have to keep improving on my roles every day."
paiN want more after a test of the arena
Rodrigo "biguzera" Bittencourt was once again paiN's stalwart, ending the series with a 1.27 rating, by far and large the best on his team and the only one outside of the red. He also left behind a memorable pistol round ace that turned a 2vs5 around to kick off Mirage on the right foot.
While neither of the two teams were particularly sharp, with a lot of shorthanded plays being turned around on either side, paiN did seem more out of sorts at times, although biguzera did not chalk it up to nerves. "Everyone was really calm," he told the broadcast after the match.
"If we keep this mentality and we keep grinding more and more, and not think that we're in a good place — we're not there yet —, we want to go forward and we really want more," the Brazilian captain added when asked about wanting to return to arena stages after getting a taste in Cluj. "So just keep doing what we're doing."
Individualities won the day
In the end, it was the stronger and more experienced individuals who pulled through despite the far-from-perfect Counter-Strike. xertioN, Jimi "Jimpphat" Salo, Ádám "torzsi" Torzsás, and Lotan "Spinx" Giladi all stepped up at times during the series, but the question now is if that will be enough against more experienced squads like Astralis or The MongolZ in the semis.
"I'm happy we won, but we could have played better in some situations," xertioN said after the match, as a precaution for the future, although he also acknowledged the new team's growth. "Even today, despite throwing a lot of rounds, we won 2-0, so it was a good result," he added.
xertioN takes on more responsibility
Dorian "xertioN" Berman shined on Inferno, MOUZ's punish pick against paiN, a map that could have gone either and was only resolved in the 24th round. The Israeli entry-fragger had a strong performance with 20 frags, five of them first kills, and 110 ADR.
"It’s early on to say I’m rejuvenated or playing really well or something because it’s only the beginning, but I’m really happy to have roles that require more responsibility," xertioN said in his post-match interview on the broadcast.
"I think I’m pretty good at communicating so we decided that we’re going to use my strength with that. I’m happy I get that trust and I just have to keep improving on my roles every day."
paiN want more after a test of the arena
Rodrigo "biguzera" Bittencourt was once again paiN's stalwart, ending the series with a 1.27 rating, by far and large the best on his team and the only one outside of the red. He also left behind a memorable pistol round ace that turned a 2vs5 around to kick off Mirage on the right foot.
While neither of the two teams were particularly sharp, with a lot of shorthanded plays being turned around on either side, paiN did seem more out of sorts at times, although biguzera did not chalk it up to nerves. "Everyone was really calm," he told the broadcast after the match.
"If we keep this mentality and we keep grinding more and more, and not think that we're in a good place — we're not there yet —, we want to go forward and we really want more," the Brazilian captain added when asked about wanting to return to arena stages after getting a taste in Cluj. "So just keep doing what we're doing."
Individualities won the day
In the end, it was the stronger and more experienced individuals who pulled through despite the far-from-perfect Counter-Strike. xertioN, Jimi "Jimpphat" Salo, Ádám "torzsi" Torzsás, and Lotan "Spinx" Giladi all stepped up at times during the series, but the question now is if that will be enough against more experienced squads like Astralis or The MongolZ in the semis.
"I'm happy we won, but we could have played better in some situations," xertioN said after the match, as a precaution for the future, although he also acknowledged the new team's growth. "Even today, despite throwing a lot of rounds, we won 2-0, so it was a good result," he added.
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