A Yoru pick was not enough for FPX to take down Fnatic. Can this Fnatic roster win Challengers?
VCT EMEA is always a very competitive landscape and with only three teams qualifying to the Masters LAN, the competition was tough. Earlier in the evening, Guild became the first team to qualify for the Masters Berlin LAN after an emphatic 2-0 victory over M3 Champions. Fnatic Boaster spoke to the broadcast after the team qualified to Masters 2 Berlin.
In the post-match interview, Boaster spoke at length about how the current roster has what it takes to make a deep run at Masters.
“I think the roster is pretty good,” Fnatic Boaster said after qualifying for Masters 2 Berlin. “The roster is pretty decent. We have a lot more firepower. I seem to be putting up a bit more numbers as well so that's always handy.”
Fnatic played Masters 1 with two subs and crashed out early in the tournament. Having already qualified for Masters 2 Berlin, Fnatic Boaster just wants to redeem their Reykjavik performance.
“We just want redemption for playing in Masters 1 with two subs which was a rough time for me in my experiences. I really want this Masters to really showcase what the team can do because we have some really strong players. The roles are clicking.”
Fnatic defeat FPX after a thrilling three-map series
Derke and Alfajer went on rampage in the first map of Icebox. Both players had an ACS of over 300 with Derke’s ACS reaching 369. With 25 and 23 kills repectively, the duo were responsible for nearly 60% of all Fnatic frags on the first map.
For FunPlus Phoenix, they simply could not find any opportunity to go through the Fnatic defense. A first-half score of 3-9 was a tall task for FPX to overcome, especially on Fnatic’s map choice.
The second map of Ascent was much more close as FunPlus Phoenix had a much better performance on the offense. They managed to secure six rounds on the offense, closing out the half at an even 6-6. However, on their defense, FPX were slightly better thanks to some impressive individual performances by Ardis "ardiis" Svarenieks and Andrey "Shao" Kiprsky.
I really want this Masters to really showcase what the team can do because we have some really strong players. The roles are clicking.”
The final map on Fracture was very similar for Fnatic fans as the first map. Fnatic raced off to a 9-3 start on the defensive side. This time around, FPX managed a comeback on their offense. But it’s always difficult to come back from such a score and it was evident in the FPX team’s struggle to equal the score.
They still managed to get 6 rounds on their defense, but when Fnatic only needed four to win, it was always going to be a tall task. With this victory, Fnatic became the second EMEA team to qualify for the Masters Berlin LAN. It'll be interesting to see how far Fnatic can go at Masters Berlin and how Boaster's individual performance will shape up.
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Featured Image Credit: Riot Games.