Team Liquid have survived another day at BLAST Open Lisbon 2025 by defeating Imperial in a three-map series, sending the Brazilian squad home early. The North American side, led by Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, now look ahead to their next challenge as they aim to continue their lower-bracket journey and stay in contention for a playoff spot.
The best-of-three began on Dust2, where Imperial’s map pick backfired immediately. Liquid took full control from the opening rounds, dominating the CT side and racking up ten rounds before halftime. Their commanding form continued into the second half, as they closed out the map 13-4 with minimal resistance from their opponents.
Imperial responded with much more fight on Nuke. The Brazilians built early momentum with a successful eco conversion that propelled them into a 5-2 lead. Liquid responded with a solid recovery, including two crucial clutch wins by Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak that helped them take a slight edge into the second half. Imperial refused to back down and clawed their way back into the game with a pistol round win, followed by a series of strong rounds led by Santino “try” Rigal. His impressive 1v2 clutch swung the game in Imperial’s favor, as they rode that wave to a six-round streak and a 13-11 win, forcing a decider.
The final map, Anubis, began with Liquid once again setting the pace. Twistzz’s four-kill pistol round lit the spark, and even though some of their rounds were scrappy, they managed to build a 7-5 lead by halftime. From there, the North Americans found their rhythm and cruised to a 13-5 win, comfortably closing out the series and ending Imperial’s campaign in Lisbon.
This result means Liquid are now two series wins away from reaching the playoff stage, and their next opponent will be whoever falls short in the match between Natus Vincere and The MongolZ.
For Imperial, the defeat is especially costly. Entering the event with a slim opportunity to gather the necessary points for a direct invite to the BLAST.tv Austin Major Stage 2, the team needed a deep run. Instead, they leave the tournament winless, casting serious doubt on their chances of skipping the Major Regional Qualifier.
Without a significant turnaround in upcoming events such as the PGL Astana and FiReLEAGUE Buenos Aires qualifiers, Imperial now face the near-certainty of competing in the South American MRQ, where they will compete against seven other regional teams for just three available spots in Stage 1 of the Major cycle. The road ahead will require consistency and resilience if the Brazilian lineup hopes to keep their Major dreams alive.
