MOUZ has qualified for their first-ever arena match with Lotan “Spinx” Giladi, defeating Virtus.pro 2-1 in Romania.
Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin’s revamped roster showed moments of inconsistency in the group stage, but their dominant 13-2 win on Mirage in the deciding match demonstrated their true potential. While they struggled at times, including a collapse from a 9-2 lead against FaZe, a 7-2 lead against Falcons, and a 6-1 advantage over Virtus.pro on Inferno, they managed to recover when it counted.
“He’s doing well,” Spinx commented on Brollan’s performance. “Some T-sides weren’t ideal, but it’s not just him, it’s a team issue.” While acknowledging that apEX was “100% a better caller,” Spinx expressed optimism about Brollan’s future as a leader.
Virtus.pro, who made it to the playoffs at Katowice, will likely look back at matches against paiN and 3DMAX as missed opportunities to continue their playoff run with the new roster. This match against MOUZ, a team with a similarly unproven captain, also appeared winnable on paper for Virtus.pro.
Timur “FL4MUS” Marev, brought in to strengthen the team, struggled with the new system, posting a 0.98 rating overall and only 0.67 during this series, highlighting the team’s inconsistency despite his individual impact on Inferno’s map win.
Virtus.pro’s struggles continued with their performance on Inferno, where they failed to capitalize on early advantages. Despite three or more players surviving four rounds in a row on Ancient, VP only managed to fight back slightly, ending the first half 5-7, with Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev stepping up on Banana. However, on Mirage, they faltered again with Denis “electroNic” Sharipov, their in-game leader, having a poor 0-6 opening duel performance, ultimately leading to a crushing 2-13 defeat.
As for MOUZ, the decision to drop Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek raised questions, but Spinx’s impact on the firepower front was undeniable, with four players finishing the group stage with ratings above 1.10. This is a promising sign for the new roster as they head into the playoffs. Players like Dorian “xertioN” Berman, who was the best performer for MOUZ in the group stage, have shown that they can sometimes struggle, but Spinx’s experience will be crucial in guiding his younger teammates.
Spinx’s new role has allowed Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo to continue in his primary lurker position, while Spinx takes on more active roles, such as semi-lurking in Boiler on Inferno. “I’m involved in much more action now,” Spinx explained. “It’s a bit tougher and comes with more responsibility, but that’s what I wanted. I always thought Jimi should be the main lurker, and so far, it’s been working well.”
