Day six of the North American League has shaken the standings, but the difference from top to bottom is just as tight. Keep on reading to find out what happened.
DarkZero defeat TSM amid Geo absence
After losing their respective matches the day before, a victory here was very much needed for both teams.
But the match marked a surprise appearance forAaron “Gotcha” Chung to the lineup, as the strategic coach had to stand in for the Mexican Emilio “Geo” Leynez, who was out with illness. According to Gotcha, Owen “Pojoman” Mitura didn’t play, despite being having more recent playing experience, as “the roles [Gotcha] used to play are more similar than Pojo’s”.
Unfortunately for their fans, Geo was well missed by TSM. Gotcha’s impact on the game was minimal, with the team largely competitive due to Bryan “Merc” Wrzek’s kills.
TSM could be in further trouble, as it has not been made public as to when Geo will return to the main lineup. In fourth now and just one point ahead of fifth, DarkZero Esports, anything could happen.
Spacestation Gaming loses two times in overtime in two days
It’s not been the best week to be a Spacestation Gaming fan. On Tuesday, the team choked a five-round lead against the Soniqs and one day later lost in maximum overtime versus Parabellum Esports.
Parabellum had the lead for the majority of the game, this time and it was Spacestation Gaming who pushed the game to overtime. However, another loss means the Six Invitational 2020 champions have fallen to ninth with a very tough schedule ahead -- they still have to face TSM, Oxygen Esports, and Astralis.
Oxygen jump to first after win over Astralis
Oxygen Esports skyrocketed to the top of the standings after their second 7-5 victory of the week, after defeating Mirage on play day five and Astralis on play day six.
It was a tough match for both sides, who only planted the defuser in two occasions. Success in gunfights defined the rounds, as Roman “Forrest” Breaux and Gabriel “LaXInG” Mirélez led their respective sides.
LaXInG’s main pick on defense was Kapkan and he got the best out of the Russian operator. He saved the day for his team pn multiple occasions, getting three kills on round seven and four on round 10, and those rounds would make the final difference.
Mirage gets first win of the stage
Mirage’s first victory in the stagecomes at the worst moment for beastcoast, amidst the latter team’s race to qualify for the Berlin Major. Although the team is still well in frame for a possible international debut, a loss against a winless side is a tough pill to swallow.
Believe it or not, this is not the end of the world. Mirage have historically had the upper hand if we look at past results – beastcoast have only won against Mirage once. In fact, two of Mirage’s three wins this season have come against them.
Jacob “Sweater” Bravico had a strong performance, as the beastcoast player recorded 17 kills in just 12 rounds. Following his showing against Mirage, he is now the second highest rated player in the North American League, with his teammate Damian “Surf” Medina in fifth. Nevertheless, these are just individual stats and what matters the most is clinching a Major spot.