#IHC gained another significant victory, this time over the #CIS powerhouses of #Cloud9, a team rated 24 ranks higher than them, and proceeded to astound experts and supporters alike. The tight 2-0 victory disqualified the Russian team from the event and exacted revenge on the Mongolians for their defeat against them in the first round.
As IHC upset #paiN and the No. 9 player in the world, #FURIA, in the opening round of the competition, spectators were taken aback by the caliber of Counter-Strike that IHC brought to the Polish event. They subsequently experienced a temporary setback in their underdog narrative as they were unable to hold onto a 9-1 advantage against ##Liquid on Inferno, losing 0-2 and dropping to the lower bracket.
With a match against Finn #karrigan Andersen's FaZe in the Group A lower semifinals on Monday at 19:30 and a subsequent lower bracket final game for a place in the Spodek Arena if they manage to beat the European combine, Garidmagnai #blitz Byambasuren's team still has a long way to go before they can secure a playoff spot.
The Match Recap
IHC got the series off to a strong start by winning the opening pistol round before pushing their advantage against Cloud9's defense to 4-0. The Mongolian team lost momentum as the Russians promptly retaliated by winning their first round with only a saved AWP and a couple upgraded handguns.
As Sergey #Ax1Le Rykhtorov secured the A bombsite, Cloud9 then produced a string of outstanding defensive plays that propelled their side to a nine-round winning run. Due to a critical Tuvshintugs #Annihilation Nyamdorj 1v2 clutch before the break, their lead was only reduced to 9-6.
After moving to the CT side, Litz's team surprised everyone by winning another pistol round and a little streak to tie the game. The captain was a pillar of strength for his side on the A bombsite and made significant contributions to IHC's several successful retakes, which helped them win by a slim margin of 16-14. In the following rounds, Cloud9 struggled to stay composed and eventually lost the map due to an unsuccessful A site push.
Even though they were able to establish an early 4-1 lead because to a second-round force buy, Cloud9 struggled after switching to their preferred Mirage. With just a few Deagles, IHC was able to stop the Russians' progress to the B site and shift the tide in their favor.
The Second Half
They maintained this momentum all the way to halftime, when they entered with a slim 7-8 disadvantage thanks to a triple-kill by Tengis #sk0R Batjargal in the apartments. Vladislav #nafany Gorshkov struggled to make an offensive impact, while Dmitry #sh1ro Sokolov finished the first half with a 1.85 rating.
Vladimir #groove After switching sides, Pikiner's lads once again battled to maintain composure and were unable to capitalise on their series-opening triumph in the pistol round. IHC and sk0R excelled on attack, and the Mongolians took a 13-11 lead after punishing Cloud9's force buy in round 22.
After thereafter, the Russian economy never really recovered, and IHC battled their way to a 16-14 win, depriving Cloud9 the opportunity to advance to the playoffs. This was a huge change from their last encounter on Mirage in the Play-In, which Cloud9 won (16-5) after a strong effort.
