After defeating paiN, Spirit has won the FiReLEAGUE Global Finals. Despite losing to the Americans 16–12 on Dust2, the Russians came back with victories on Nuke (16–8) and Vertigo (16-10).
After initially not intending to attend the competition, Spirit ended up winning. TeamOne won the North American qualification, which allowed them to advance, but since they were unable to go, the eventual champions were invited instead.
The Quick Recap
Spirit had seemed unbeatable up until the final as they easily handled WINDINGO and 9z in two 2-0 triumphs. Igor “w0nderful” Zhdanov had been the team's leader, posting ratings of 1.36 in the first game and 1.76 in the second.
The runners-up were also in strong shape going into the championship match, with Rodrigo “biguzera” Bittencourt turning in a stellar effort to eliminate Imperial in the semifinals. paiN anticipated putting up a good fight in the championship after putting their weak performance against MASONIC in the first round behind them.
The final began on the Dust2 map that paiN chose, and their opponents got off to a fast start, winning four rounds in a row after a dominant pistol round. Felipe “skullz” Medeiros, spearheading the charge, helped paiN claw their way back into the match. Spirit won the first half 8-7, but once the teams switched, paiN appeared to be playing at a higher level. Despite losing three rounds while on match point, the Brazilians still appeared to be in control as they won 16-12.
The supremacy that paiN had shown after then ceased. In the second map, their adversaries turned the tables on them. While w0nderful kept up his strong play, Robert “Patsi” Isyanov unlocked a new level, and his 28 kills helped the team defeat their foes 16-8 on Nuke.
Despite the second map being lopsided, Vertigo appeared to be a competitive conclusion to the best-of-three final when paiN won the pistol round. However, as Spirit won eleven consecutive rounds and the half 12-3, the match swiftly lost its competitive nature.
Skullz led paiN's comeback in the second half, during which time they gained seven T-rounds, but it was insufficient. The team led by Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov won the championship after the final map with a score of 16–10.
The Conclusion
Spirit's victory in the competition is significant since they will now focus on the IEM Rio Major.
The Legends Stage of the Brazilian competition, for which the Russian team has qualified, will start on November 5, meaning they have plenty of time to prepare and hopefully continue their winning streak.
