FURIA Esports vs w7m esports preview: JULIO meets former teammates in first BR6 semi-final

^{Image: Ubisoft/Michal Konkol}

Today, the BR6 Finals will kick off, with the semi-finals today set to confirm the two grand final teams that will clash two months later in December. The first match of the day will feature the regular season champions w7m esports up against FURIA Esports.

Julio faces former team

Julio “JULIO” Giacomelli will be up against his former players, having coached FURIA Esports throughout the second stage of the year. 

After suddenly parting ways with Ninjas in Pyjamas, he continued to be a presence in the scene by switching to a coaching role with FURIA. But now he’s back as a player and will be taking on his former team in a match that could once again justify his decision to leave FURIA.

He now has the chance to qualify for the BR6 Grand Finals for the second year in a row, having lost in 2021 against Team Liquid by a 3-1 margin.

Rookie duo on their way to BR6 crown

Not even professionals and casters expected such a dominant w7m esports side, especially with two rookies in their squad. Both 19 years-old, Gabriel “volpz” Fernandes and Joao “Jv92” Vitor have been the most consistent duo in the entire league. 

Volpz was the best-rated player in the first stage, the third-best in the second split, and the seventh-best in the third. Meanwhile, Jv92 peaked in the recently concluded Stage 3, as he was the fifth-best player by SiegeGG Rating in the competition.

Handy’s clutching potential might come in handy

Thiago “handy” Ferreira was the second-best player in Brazil’s third split with a SiegeGG Rating of 1.21, just behind Luccas “Paluh” Molina. He was also one of the only two players to get more than 100 kills, proving the change of role was the right decision. 

Although he has been outstanding, handy’s most brilliant stat after the conclusion of the third stage was his seven clutches; the best in the region. The rest of his team are not too shabby either, with eight kills amongst them for a total of 15 in Stage 3.

Fntzy’s finally struggling

At the Berlin Major, Diogo “Fntzy” Lima’s form was breathtaking. He was arguably the best entry fragger in the competition alongside Jaime “Cyber” Ramos and William “Spoit” Löfstedt and finished with the fifth-best rating in the tournament.

However, he has been rather quiet in the past two months. With SiegeGG Ratings of 1.06 and 1.19 in Stage 1 and 2, respectively, many have been surprised at his 0.92 Rating in Stage 3. This stage, he was negative in entry kills while having the third-worst survival in the league -- untenable in combination, though worthwhile if either is in isolation.

Nine games and nine losses

Surprisingly, the last time FURIA defeated w7m was in Jul. 2021. Since the creation of w7m esports’ current roster, both teams have met nine times – all ending in victories for the bulls. 

While w7m have taken three strong wins – 7-4, 7-3, and even 7-2 – they have been pushed twice to maximum overtime. Additionally, both teams have met in two BO3 series, with w7m winning both by 2-0 scorelines.