#Vitality defeated #Heroic 2-1 to become the first team to advance to the BLAST Premier Spring Final. They then defeated the Franco Danish combination following a convincing performance on Mirage (16-11), fell to Nuke (13-16), and then bounced back with a more controlled performance on Vertigo (16-8).
With just one map dropped in their three games and a victory in the upper bracket that earned them a spot in the $425,000 Spring Final, Vitality will be delighted with their composure in Denmark. Spinx will also take pleasure in his performance throughout the series; he was one of his team's finest players against the Danes, harkening back to his elite efforts in the first half of 2022, and finished the best-of-three with a 1.24 rating and 82 ADR.
The Match Recap
Jakob #jabbi Nygaard ignited Mirage scoring three kills right away, but a Desert Eagle-wielding ZywOo retaliated immediately with a 4k hold of the A site in the following round to put an end to the Danish fivesome. As they quickly jumped out to a 6-2 lead, Vitality made the most of this early shift in momentum by strengthening their economy and providing themselves a sizable cushion to deal with.
For the rest of the team's CT-side, ZywOo's skills didn't appear to be waning; the Frenchman's end-of-half 18-4 K-D differential and 113 ADR propelled Vitality to victory, and the Franco-Danish team gave up only two more rounds to hold a sizable 11-4 advantage by the side swap.
During the first few minutes of the second half, Mirage degenerated into a back-and-forth battle. When Vitality was able to win three games in a row to go ahead and reach the map point with a score of 15-6, the two teams went tit for tat, trading rounds.
Despite facing certain defeat, Heroic managed to stay afloat thanks to Martin #stavn Lund's continuous impact around Connector, which helped cut the once-significant deficit down to just five rounds, 10-15. Though Vitality didn't stay on map point for very long, Heroic's defenses were torn apart by double-kill incursions of the A site from ZywOo and Peter #dupreeh Rasmussen, securing a 16-11 victory for the Bees.
Vitality won the opening pistol round of the series to start Nuke, but once more, the map turned into a back-and-fro contest. Dan #apEX Madesclaire and company narrowly won this crucial battle, remaining cool as they slowly made their way to a 5-2 advantage on the T-side. Heroic moved quickly to ensure they were still in the game.
René #TeSeS Madsen's impressive two-kill hold on Ramp in the eighth round marked the beginning of a five-round run that gave the Danes a 7-5 advantage. Unfortunately, Spinx saved Vitality, turning the tide with a 1vs1 clutch to give the French-Danish team a slim one-round lead at halftime.
When it was Heroic's chance to defend, Vitality maintained control thanks to flawless utility use and impenetrable crossfires, which made things difficult for Heroic all the time. The biggest victory for the Danes came in round 22, when #cadiaN's highlight-worthy 1vs5 ace clutch stopped an economic and map-wide blowout. The team then used the extra energy to win another difficult 3vs5 situation just two rounds later to tie the game at 12-12 and put the map on a knife-edge.
Dupreeh and Emil #Magisk from Denmark Vitality won the first pistol round of the map thanks to Reif's four kills, which the multinational composition used to gain a sizable advantage in their defensive attempt.
The End Point
TeSeS and jabbi were given the task of bringing Heroic back into the match, with the Danes leading the way with 20 kills combined to reduce the deficit to just one round, 5-6. As the half came to a conclusion, Vitality strengthened their defensive line. Multi-kill rounds from ZywOo, Spinx, and dupreeh allowed the team to have nine rounds under their belts at the break.
Vitality controlled the third and final stage of the three-map series from beginning to end, giving up just two rounds before winning. Magisk responded to the call, keeping up his team-leading attacking pace and finishing the 16-8 game with 26 kills and a respectable 114 ADR.
