Top Moments from APAC North Day 5

^{Image: Ubisoft/Kirill Bashkirov}

Here is how Day 5 of the APAC North Division looked like:

• SANDBOX Gaming 7-4 Fnatic
• FAV gaming 8-7 DWG KIA
• Fnatic 7-4 Spear Gaming
• FAV gaming 3-7 CYCLOPS athlete gaming

Play of the day: Li9ht 1v2 to win by 0.056 seconds

New FAV signing Hikaru "Li9ht" Osawa turned up big for his team in overtime against DWG KIA, pulling off a 1v2 clutch while under immense pressure.

DWG had managed to fight back to a 7-6 lead after trailing 2-4 at the half and were looking to clean up a post-plant situation that went sideways for FAV. However, Li9ht managed to dispatch the final defender on site, before delaying Yoo "yass" Sang-hoon just enough to squeak through by 0.056 seconds.

The round win meant FAV stayed alive and were able to go on to win the match.

Player of the day: SuzuC

Another CAG player was the best performer this week, with Takuma "SuzuC" Nakajima surprising many by becoming that name.

The IGL and hard support player was everywhere he was needed and had a 100 percent KOST -- meaning he had an impact in every round by either getting a kill, planting or disabling the defuser, surviving through the entire round, or getting traded by a teammate.

As a result, he finished with the highest SiegeGG Rating across all four matches, a 1.69, and even secured two 1v2 clutches along the way.

Surprise of the day: FAV gaming

Prior to this week, FAV gaming had last gone one day short of six months from their last victory in APAC North. Since then, they endured an entirely winless Stage 2 and four further losses in Stage 3 -- an 11-game losing streak -- before finally breaking their duck against none other than DWG KIA.

The Japanese team even had to suffer a mid-game substitution, when Naoki "Yura" Takamoto had technical difficulties and had to leave after two disconnections in as many rounds. Ken "K-RAISER" Takazawa stepped in with no prior warning, but was on song and found himself 4-1 in K-D in just four rounds.

The loss was DWG KIA's third of the stage so far and marked a total of seven dropped points already. As a result, the Koreans are in fifth place -- even behind a Fnatic that made three roster moves prior to the start of this stage.

Top moments of the day

Here's a quickfire rundown of other top moments in APAC North this week.

Fnatic lose six in a row

Fnatic's attacking woes resurfaced in a key match against SANDBOX Gaming this week, having been largely dormant in three of their past four games.

The Japanese team took an impressive 4-1 lead on the defense of Theme Park and it looked like they would secure a vital win that could skyrocket them into a Jönköping Major place by the end of the stage in two weeks.

But, unlike DWG KIA, SANDBOX showcased the strength that is expected from a Berlin Major attendee and won six rounds in a row to quell any rebellion from them at the top of the table.

REJECT wobble but still on course

As a result of Fnatic's loss, REJECT now find themselves in third place. With games against CAG and DWG KIA left for SANDBOX, their second-place rivals, all REJECT have to do is be there to pick up the pieces by securing six points against FAV and Spear Gaming -- both weak opposition.

While fate is not in their hands entirely, they nearly let their chances slip entirely this week after being given a scare by Talon Esports. The Koreans managed to push REJECT to the brink, forcing the Japanese to win a 1v1 to ensure overtime and then come back from 1-7 down.

Far better performances will be needed from REJECT -- like what got them seven points against CAG, DWG KIA, and SANDBOX combined -- if they are to take wins against Spear and a surprisingly resilient FAV.

CAG are one point away from the Major

As APAC uses head-to-head as the first tiebreaker, CAG are just one point away from confirming a place at the Jönköping Major. Their closest rivals, SANDBOX, could overtake them, but they will not fall further than second as they beat REJECT 8-6 earlier this stage.

It has been a remarkably consistent stage from CAG, with the Japanese team set to return to international competition without dropping points to midfield challengers -- unlike Berlin Major attendees SANDBOX and DWG KIA.