PGL Major Antwerp was full of exciting moments and clutch plays. The biggest event CS:GO has to offer always brings the heat, as did FaZe Clan on their way to their first ever Major title. The Champions Stage played host to eight of the best teams in the world, and boy did they deliver the action. Here are our picks for the top 5 plays of the PGL Major Antwerp Champions Stage.
Antwerp Major MVP rain had one of his best tournaments ever. (Image Credit PGL - Stefan Petrescu)
5. rain vs Na’Vi – Pistol Round Ace on the Finals Stage
Few players can ever boast about earning an Ace on the biggest stage in Counter-Strike. In the Grand Finals of PGL Major Antwerp, FaZe Clan went up 10-5 on their pick of Inferno. Looking to shut Na’Vi out of map one, Håvard “rain” Nygaard’s aim stayed true for all five kills, including a 1v2 clutch to seal the deal.
That round turned out to be crucial, as FaZe and Na’Vi had to settle Inferno in Overtime. After battling back from the brink of defeat, FaZe closed out their map 19-16 to go up 1-0 in the series. Without this Ace, FaZe may have not lifted the Major trophy at all.
4. karrigan vs Team Spirit – Expertly Maneuvered 1v3
In their Semifinal matchup, FaZe Clan faced off against an upstart Spirit side. Things started out good for FaZe, as they took a 10-5 lead on their pick of Mirage. However, Spirit started to battle back on their own T side. After bringing their deficit to two, Spirit had a 3v1 situation against FaZe’s in-game leader. With his team’s economy all used up, Finn “karrigan” Andersen moved flawlessly to clutch the round out and keep FaZe in the lead.
FaZe would go on to win Mirage 16-13 and take a 1-0 lead in the Semifinal. Although they closed out the series in two maps, FaZe needed to make sure Mirage was theirs. Spirit’s Dust2 pick could have easily gone either way, after all.
3. magixx vs FaZe Clan – 1v4 Retake to Keep Major Hopes Alive
With all of the pressure now on Team Spirit to take the Semifinal to three maps, the CIS squad loaded into Dust2. This was an even more competitive affair than map one, as back-to-back 9-6 halves resulted in not one, not two, but three overtimes. At the start of OT3, FaZe earned round one and had round two on lock. That’s when Boris “magixx” Vorobyev worked his magic in the Dust2 A site retake.
His 1v4 resulted in Spirit taking a 23-22 lead going into the side switch. Unfortunately for them, FaZe’s defense was rock solid the third time around, earning a perfect 3-0 half and closing out Dust2 25-23. If Spirit had managed to take the map, this play would go down in the record books.
2. rain vs Na’Vi – One Man Army Stops Na’Vi in their Tracks
After taking their Inferno pick in overtime, FaZe Clan was looking to close out the Grand Finals in two. Na’Vi’s Nuke was up next, a map that they were incredibly potent on. It would take a great effort to shut down the CIS giants on their home ground. And that’s exactly what Major MVP rain did in his Yard hold as soon as Na’Vi got their rifles.
Na’Vi were devastated after this, and hardly looked like their best selves for the rest of the half. FaZe went on to take a comfortable 10-5 lead before closing out the Major with a 16-10 victory on Nuke. Rain put up 30 kills and a massive 1.85 rating on the map, easily propelling himself to MVP status.
1. TeSeS vs Na’Vi – Taking Inferno by Force, 4 Kills with a 1v3
The most exciting Quarterfinals matchup of PGL Major Antwerp was between Na’Vi and Heroic. Both of these teams had their eyes on the Major Final, but only one could advance. Heroic’s Inferno pick was coming down to the wire with Na’Vi starting their CT side hot. Down to a 3v5 in round 23, René “TeSeS” Madsen led his teammates into CT spawn trying to find any openings. A quick pick onto s1mple opened the floodgates.
After the plant went down, TeSeS and Casper “cadiaN” Møller were surrounded on all sides by four Na’Vi members. CadiaN got the first kill then died, leaving TeSeS in a 1v3. Fighting three different angles at once, TeSeS flicked all around him to take down every enemy. Heroic went on to shut out Na’Vi on Inferno and go up 1-0. Sadly for Heroic, they narrowly lost Ancient 14-16, then got rolled on Nuke to exit PGL Major Antwerp.
