Sentinels vs Team Heretics – VCT Masters Madrid Swiss Stage: SEN just squeezes by to win it 2:1

Day 1 of Masters Madrid was action-packed. Day 2 has the potential to outshine it with two banger matches. The second, which we'll cover here, is Sentinels vs. Team Heretics. The number one seed from Americas taking on the number two seed from EMEA.

Follow along with us for live scores and highlights, updated each half!

Sentinels has had a rough couple of years in the VCT. After winning the first ever international VALORANT tournament, TenZ is the only one to remain. In his new role, he has helped Sentinels back to the grand stage of the VCT.

And from a redemption story, we find ourselves in the opening arc of Team Heretics. This fairly new squad, consisting of brothers, a former Fortnite mega star, and others just ready to prove themselves, represent a changing of the guard in EMEA.

A Spanish organization, in Madrid, Spain. Or the most clout-jammed organization esports has ever seen. Neither team is going to pull punches in this one, but only one will come out on top of the Sentinels vs Team Heretics war.

Tune in to the official VALORANT channels on Twitch or YouTube to watch Sentinels vs Team Heretics during the Masters Madrid Swiss Stage. There are also many co-streams happening with VALORANT's top creators.

Or just stick around here and watch with us as we recap the series!

We'll have plenty of clips and details on how this matchup goes down.

A pistol round Ace from TenZ started Lotus for Sentinels. They weren't able to immediately capitalize, however, as Team Heretics fought hard for the next to rounds. The following should have also been theirs, with benjyfishy netting multiple kills. SEN IGL johnqt stuck a defuse, though, and tied it up.

TH took back the lead right away, giving Sentinels plenty to worry about with their attack plan. The hometown team kept the pressure on. They put together several rounds in a row. And while Sentinels managed a couple more, TH maintained a good lead at halftime off a huge paTiTek 3K.

The attacker-sided nature of Lotus showed in the second half, with Sentinels rushing sites, getting kills, and securing rounds. It wasn't long until they tied it at 8:8. A 3K from zekken, with the final finished off by Sacy, pushed SEN into the lead.

A much-needed timeout by Team Heretics seemed to right the ship a bit. They finally slowed SEN down, as MiniBoo picked off enemy after enemy with the Operator. SEN maintained their composure, however. A 4K from Zellsis brought them to map point, and then Lotus was theirs.

Team Heretics began Sunset on defense, taking the pistol round in a close one. The next followed, and they carried some good weapons into their bonus. That allowed them to lock down B Site and go up 3:0 early on. An almost clutch by johnqt was stopped by MiniBoo and they kept rolling.

A 3K by RieNs pushed them even further ahead, with a shutout through much of the first half. Eventually, Sentinels got on the board, but Team Heretics did not allow them to catch up before halftime. The lead was cut, though TH ensured a lead before switching sides.

A Flawless round to open the second half was what TH needed. They absolutely could not allow another comeback from SEN, like they did on map one. Shortly after, Heretics reached double digits with a quick plant on A Site.

Heretics put up yet another Flawless round as they looked to close out the map and tie the series. And just like that, Team Heretics reached map point. The final round of Sunset was slow, as TH wanted to ensure victory. A push a through mid and a surprise strike near SEN's side of the map signaled the end.

The momentum carried over for Team Heretics as they took Bind's pistol round with ease. The next was theirs, followed by a bonus round loss. Instead of SEN tying it up, a masterful defensive play by paTiTek kept TH in the lead.

The defensive hold by Heretics remained, as they finished yet another round in the series Flawless. Eventually, SEN called their first timeout of the map, and it gave them what they needed to stop the bleeding. Incredibly, they brought it back to tie it before halftime.

The push back turned into a lead as Sentinels took the second half pistol. As it typically goes, the next round went their way, only for TH to bounce back on the bonus. They tied it back up in the following, showing a solid attacking side.

An aggressive defense push into the A Bath area by zekken caught TH off guard and they took the lead again. It looked like they'd finish of Heretics, but heroics from paTiTek once again gave the Spanish team life. At 11:11, it was anyone's game. And even with a team kill by zekken, SEN snagged the next two rounds to take the win in their first Masters Madrid series.

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