The CIS side won the most recent Valorant event, VCT Masters Berlin and are heavy favorites to lift the championship.
The 2021 VCT Champions event returns today with the VCT Masters Berlin champions Gambit taking to the stage. The CIS side is heavily favored not only to win this series but to win the entire tournament. Team Secret will be looking to cause a major upset and throw a wrench in what is a very top-heavy group. Here is what went down between Gambit and Team Secret.
Team Secret: Ice cold on Icebox
If anyone thought Team Secret would simply lie down for the best team in the world, they were wide of the mark. Going onto Icebox, it should have been an easy time for Gambit, the Berlin champions were on offense to kick things off which is a favored side for this map.
However, it was Team Secret who would come out of the gates swinging. The SEA side looked incredible with clean slaying and leaving Gambit with no answer to their plays. In the first six rounds, TS raced out to a 5-1 lead, which many would not have predicted.
Despite Gambits best efforts, Team Secret went into the second half with a comfortable 8-4 lead. This put Gambit on the defensive side with everything to do. Icebox is currently heavily an offensive-sided map but Gambit was only able to garner four rounds. As expected, Gambit was not able to recoup their losses and went down 1-0, which to some could be considered against the run of play.
Map two: It was a breeze for Gambit as they perfect gamed Secret
Well, the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Team Secret awoke the giant that is Gambit. The Berlin champions put on a clinic on Breeze to push this series as they win the map 13-0. It was always going to be a tough hill to climb for Team Secret despite their map one victory. Breeze is the only map Secret has a below 50% win rate on and Gambit exposed why.
While every member on Gambit played incredibly, nAts will get a special shoutout as he only died once in 13 rounds as he went 14/1/4. These stats came at the benefit of Sheydos and d3ffo earning nine first bloods between them.
Map three: Gambit puts on second half masterclass
After a demolition job from Gambit on map two, it was now up to Team Secret to dust themselves off and come back out and regain some pride. The game started out very even between the two sides as they traded rounds back and forth with Team Secret even having a three-round lead over the Berlin champions.
As the first half came to a close, Gambit held a 7-5 lead over Team Secret. And while the first half was neck and neck, the second half painted a different story. Gambit showed why they are one of the best teams in the world and made a statement in the second half. Gambit closed out the half with a 6-1 scoreline that would see them punch themselves onto the winner's stage of the bracket.
Despite the humiliation in game two, Team Secrets can hold their heads high. For almost two maps they were trading blow for blow with the best team in the world and have made a good account for themselves in this tournament.