The Intel Extreme Masters Rio Major 2022 continues to deliver. Two of the four quarterfinal matches were played yesterday: The first quarterfinal match was between Fnatic and Outsiders. Outsiders had a fairly comfortable game. They beat Fnatic 2-0 and advanced to the semifinals. They will face MOUZ in the first semifinal match.
Cloud9 got the upper hand by winning the first map, but MOUZ evened the playing field by taking Overpass. In the end, it was MOUZ that claimed the semifinal spot, eliminating Cloud9 with a 2-1 comeback victory.
The other two quarterfinal matches will be played later today: Team Spirit will take on Heroic and FURIA Esports will face off against Natus Vincere. So, let’s take a closer look at these matchups and see what to expect.
Quarter Final 3: Team Spirit vs Heroic
Match Link: Team Spirit vs Heroic
Heroic has a pretty consistent team. The only recent change - if you want to call it that - is the addition of jabbi instead of refrezh in June. TeSeS, stavn, cadiaN and sjuush have been in the team for more than two years, so thay have stability on their side. In Team Spirit on the other hand, only chopper and magixx have been with the team for a long time. Patsi, s1ren and especially w0nderful are practically new on the team.
Both Team Spirit and Heroic were seeded as legends at IEM Rio Major, so they started playing during the Legends Stage. Heroic only lost to Cloud9 (another team team that reached the quarterfinal stage but was eliminated), and Team Spirit lost to FURIA and Outsider (two more teams that made it to the Quarter Finals). Team Spirit made it to the quarterfinals only after beating Team Liquid in a close 2-1 match.
All in all, Heroic has the better cards for this matchup. Their performance has steadily improved throughout 2022 and they seem better equipped to win.
Quarter Final 4: FURIA Esports vs Natus Vincere
Match Link: FURIA vs NAVI
FURIA is unstoppable at IEM Rio! They entered the tournament from the very beginning: unlike the other Brazilian teams, they made it out of the Challengers Stage and made it through the Legends Stage without losing a single map. NAVI was seeded as a legend, so they didn’t play at the Challengers Stage. They barely made it to the Semi Finals.
NAVI shared a picture on Twitter, saying “This is going to hurt as hell.” meaning whichever team wins it will be a bittersweet victory amongst friends.
Based on their performance at the IEM Rio Major alone, FURIA is the clear favourite. But NAVI has an insane history to defend and will definitely prove to be a colossal obstacle if FURIA aspires to a place in the semi-finals.
Which teams will make it to the semifinals? Who is your favourite? Place your bet now and claim your bonus.
