Image via Ubisoft/@itsmeerror
The first map of the FaZe Clan-Soniqs match was marred by a technical pause in the first round, completely blunting a seemingly-ferocious FaZe attack.
The pause accounted for a full 20 percent of the times FaZe was stopped on attack. In both maps of their 2-0 (7-4, 7-5) victory, FaZe converted four attacking rounds during their attacking half, failing on only four total attacks. In fact, both of FaZe Clan's victories came from the exact same round split-up: four attacks, three defenses.
Seth "supr" Hoffman says that FaZe was excellent in getting Soniqs in a mode he calls "false pressure," appearing everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He also thinks they started the Oregon map too passively and having Thatcher available on Villa made things significantly easier for both teams' attacking sides.
"Every time I played main stairs I got Thatchered, stunned, naded, somebody rappelled in 90 window behind me ... honestly, in my entire career, I've never played against an attack like that," supr said.
Soniqs made a late run on Villa on their attacking half, but the damage from the initial four-two split was already done. The lead FaZe gained proved to be insurmountable this day.
FaZe's victory also guaranteed that a LATAM team will have a spot in the lower bracket final, where they'll play the loser of the TSM FTX - Team Empire match. Every single LATAM team that won a Major event during the "LATAM Era" has fallen short at the next event they participated in. FaZe Clan have already bucked that trend by being one of four team remaining at the Six Invitational, and if they keep this pace, they might be lifting the hammer when it's all said and done.
"I think our attack is really good overall, and we just show[ed] it today," Gabriel "cameram4n" Hespanhol said of FaZe's success. Their aggression and ability to control so much of the map was evident in their victory today and their tournament overall: over the past two months they've won 52.6 percent of their attacks.
Soniqs are sent home, but go home with their best international placement in the history of their roster. "It's a massive achievement, to not only win a title [NAL Finals], but to finish top six at Invite," supr said.
FaZe Clan will take on MiBR for the right to stay in the tournament tomorrow, Feb. 19.