Vitality dominate Falcons to retain ESL Pro League title in Season 22

Vitality have retained their ESL Pro League title by beating Falcons in what proved to be a simple 3:0 Grand Final to round out Season 22. For all intents and purposes, this match seriously could have been an email.

We know the scoreline, but let’s delve a little deeper into how the series went down as ESL Pro League Season 22 came to an end.

Vitality vs. Falcons was barely a contest

The best-of-five series kicked off on Inferno, a common battleground when these two teams have faced one another. In truth, those early stages are the closest it ever came to being a contest, with both sides showing signs of inconsistency there. For Falcons, NiKo and m0NESY were at their best, but it still wasn’t enough to close things out. 13:10 was the final scoreline, and it was only downhill from there.

Map two of Train didn’t go much better, either. Falcons had that same duo on form, but it was a disappearing act from the remaining trio that held them back from the win. Vitality, of course, benefitted from star performances from the likes of flameZ and ZywOo, who looked more than comfortable and ready to get this over and done with. Train finished 13:9 in the end, but that scoreline was the result of a last-minute cosmetic comeback from Falcons. It wasn’t ever that close.

And then map three came along. It had to be Falcons showing their best selves to have any chance of kick-starting a comeback. So, naturally, they started the map off by losing a 1v4 pistol round clutch to mezii. That kind of set the tone from there – complete domination on map three for Vitality. A showcase in the gulf of quality between these teams, and Vitality adding yet another trophy to the collection. One more notch on the ESL Grand Slam, too. Map three ended swiftly on a 13:5 scoreline, Vitality successfully defending their ESL Pro League title after winning Season 21 earlier in the year.

kyousuke struggles may concern Falcons

When Falcons added kyousuke earlier this year, there was some curiosity over whether the former Spirit Academy young gun was ready for Tier 1, never mind being a star for a title-contending team. He has since answered those questions with a resounding “yes,” he absolutely belongs at the top of the game.

But there are certainly some concerns over his form against the very best. He has a tendency to go missing in the most important moments. This is no slight on him as a player – he is 17 years old; still a teenager by any measurement. But it is still worthy of a mention, if we’re discussing what Falcons need if they’re to be a winning roster.

When it comes to nerves for a player who clearly can compete mechanically on these stages, exposure is the best therapy. Those jitters when the stakes are highest will likely go with age and experience, so they need others to step up in the meantime to make up for that.

Here, against Vitality, it felt as though kyousuke went missing. A 0.88 rating is an accurate depiction of his performance in this series, albeit in the first Tier 1 Grand Final of his career. Leeway must be given. It’s certainly one to watch, though, as Falcons’ desperation to win becomes more pressing into next year.