Rainbow Six North American division underdogs TSM have crushed Team Liquid in the DreamHack Montreal finals. The win on home soil follows a series of dramatic roster and staff moves.
TSM have been the subject of much criticism following their underwhelming season 10 Pro League performance. Since their genesis from former organization Excelerate Gaming, the squad has seen a lot of moves. There is no denying that the pick up of Jason “Beaulo” Doty has been crucial to the team’s success on LAN, especially when looking at the all-important ace on Coastline during the finals. The addition of Sam Jarvis and Ex-Evil Geniuses coach Aaron “Gotcha” Chung have proven to be the missing pieces for TSM on LAN.
While the win didn’t come easily, TSM rallied from a map two loss to come back and secure the final map with commanding force. Taking Consulate away from Liquid 7-2 is an impressive feat that can and should be applauded given the LATAM division’s stranglehold on the map. Liquid had their own 7-2 smoke show on Bank but failed to follow the win up with any meaningful momentum on the third and final map.
For TSM, this win highlights several points of interest on the roster. With both Owen “Pojoman” Mitura and Sam Jarvis being ejected from the DarkZero roster earlier this year, there is a touch of irony in that they not only won the tournament but beat the team who eliminated DarkZero in the quarterfinals, which seemed highly improbable on paper.
Broadcaster Parker “Interro” Mackay noted that after almost five seasons in Challenger League, Matthew “Achieved” Solomon finally earned a Pro League title. It’s a rough go in Challenger and to spend nearly five seasons grinding it out is an impressive feat in itself.
Even Beaulo’s doubters have calmed down since his induction into the league. The newly minted pro player got his start on YouTube and has grown a large fanbase. No matter where fans stand on Beaulo coming from YouTube, his presence in the league brings new viewers to the esport and that only translates into positive growth.
Despite some abysmal performances in the Rainbow Six Pro League this season, TSM have solidified their reputation as LAN monsters and are sure to tear up the Six Invitational 2020 next year. North America has often been deemed the underdog of R6 esports but both Rogue and TSM have now shown that the region can hang with the best of the best at LAN. Hopefully, this positive trend will continue for North American supporters going forward.
TSM may not carry the same weight in the regular Pro League season but if there was ever a chance for them to get a second wind, then this would be the impetus for such a change.
With the DreamHack Montreal Minor closed out fans can look forward to the start of the second half of season 10 of the Pro League. The official Pro League broadcast can be found here.
