The Danish roster delivered an intense performance on the third day of the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 Europe RMR B, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Turkey's Eternal Fire.
With this win, the squad improves to a 2-2 record in the Swiss stage, keeping their hopes for Major qualification alive. However, the journey ahead is daunting, with two must-win series tomorrow standing between them and a place in Shanghai.
Starting on their pick of Vertigo, the Danes were off to a rocky start, losing the opening pistol and facing persistent economic struggles on the CT side. Eternal Fire capitalized on their momentum, surging to a 7-1 lead.
A heroic 1v2 clutch from team captain Casper "cadiaN" Møller momentarily reignited hope, closing the half at 5-7. Despite a pistol round triple kill from Alexander "br0" Bro on the T side, the team failed to convert, ultimately losing the map 6-13.
On Dust2, starting T-side, the squad faced early pressure and disappointment but quickly found their footing. Winning the first buy round sparked a strong response, bringing the score to 6-6 at halftime.
Switching to the CT side, the team showcased a defensive masterclass, winning six rounds to secure map point. Jakob "jabbi" Nygaard led the charge with a standout performance (18-11, 92 ADR, 1.51 rating) as the Danes closed the map 13-8, evening the series.
The final map of Inferno was a rollercoaster. After losing the T-side pistol, the squad retaliated with a successful force buy, setting the tone for a scrappy half that ended 7-5 in their favor. Alexander "br0" Bro dominated early, posting a 15-5 scoreline with a 2.02 rating at halftime.
However, Eternal Fire stormed into the second half, winning five consecutive rounds to take an 11-8 lead. The Danish quintet mounted a comeback of dimensions, equalizing at 11-11 before clinching the decider map with a nail-biting 13-11 finish, securing their victory.
Now 2-2 in the tournament, the team must win two best-of-three matches tomorrow to claim the final spot for the Shanghai Major. Their first challenge will be the Ukrianian team Passion UA, starting at 6:00 CET on November 24, 2024.
Victory in this matchup would propel them to the decisive 7th-place decider, where a win is the only path to qualification.