The most fiery and unpredictable team in Counter-Strike added another notch to their belt by defeating two of the game’s most hyped teams.
Virtus Pro triumphed at the seventh final for the CEVO Professional league in Columbus, Ohio, beating Natus Vincere in the championship match after beating Cloud9 in a tight semifinal.
The Polish team’s efforts in the final were comprehensive. Keyed by Jaroslaw “Pasha” Jarzabkowski, whose performance was reminiscent of his days as one of the top talents in the game, Virtus Pro also benefited from the steady play of veteran Filip “Neo” Kubski.
Natus Vincere stars Ladislav “Guardian” Kovacs and Egor “Flamie” Vasilyev put in typically strong performances. But Virtus dominated its European rivals throughout the event, beating Natus Vincere in both the group stage and playoffs, and in the process amassed a total of five maps won to only one lost.
Virtus’ stiffest challenge came during the semifinal, where they met surging American team Cloud9. There, Kubski was backed primarily by teammate Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski in fending off the Americans.
Each team took a decisive map leading up to the penultimate third, where Virtus Pro earned a massive 14-1 halftime lead on Inferno. Cloud9 nearly managed to complete a comeback in spite of overwhelming odds, but were ultimately stopped short after winning 10 rounds in the second half.
German team Mousesports also managed a fair showing at the event, beating both Cloud9 and Team Liquid in the group stage before falling just short of extending their semifinal series with Natus Vincere to a third game, losing the second on the final round of regulation.
While Cloud9 performed decently, American teams were largely disappointing at the CEVO event. Beyond Cloud9, only Tempo Storm were able to take a game off of European opposition, playing a surprisingly close series with Natus Vincere which could have sent them to the playoffs.
This is Virtus Pro’s first notable victory since April. The win should help keep the team motivated and in high spirits as they begin gearing up for next month’s ESL major in Cologne.
Image via Valve | Remix by Jacob Wolf
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