Heroic advance to the lower final!
Going all three maps it was ultimately Heroic to defeat Team Liquid 2-1
BLAST Premier Fall Final 2021 is nearing its end and things are getting more and more intense between the tier-one rosters. We have already found the two competing teams in the upper final, and today it was time to find our two lower finalists. The battle was between the Danish Heroic roster, which almost took down an in-form NaVi, and the North American darling in Team Liquid. Going into the Bo3-series it was clear that Heroic were the favorites. Liquid, however, posed a challenge for the Danes and the Bo3-series went all three maps before reaching its conclusion. Despite a valid attempt from Liquid it was ultimately the Danes to take home the victory 2-1. The victory against Liquid means that we will see a Danish brawl between the new-look Astralis roster and Heroic – they are set to clash in the lower final later today at 19:30 (CET).
The first map was the choice of Liquid and saw the Bo3-series start on Overpass, perhaps surprisingly. Whilst Liquid have proven themselves to be excellent on Overpass it is also one of the maps where Heroic are notoriously difficult to play against. Heroic proved exactly why they are regarded as a strong Overpass team, in the first half of the map. With their aggressive CT-sided plays and attempts to leave their opponents always guessing, it was the Danes to gain the advantage going into the second half at the scoreline of 10-5. Whilst Heroic seemed almost impossible to play against in the first half, with both “stavn” and “sjuush” popping off, the second half had Team Liquid written all over it. After giving away the two first rounds in the second half, Team Liquid played their CT-side to perfection. Stringing together 11 rounds in a row, it was Team Liquid to make the comeback attempt a reality and take home Overpass at 16-12.
The second map of the series was to be played on Nuke and was, of course, picked by Heroic. As we know, Danish rosters have an affinity for the strategical map of Nuke – Heroic are no different. Having played the map 15 times in the past three months and won 60%, it is clear as to why the Danes opted for Nuke as their map pick. It was also Heroic to start the strongest once again. Posting a strong T-sided half on the otherwise CT-sided map of Nuke, the Danes could walk away to halftime at the scoreline of 9-6. The second half, however, proved much more difficult for Heroic. With “EliGE” proving why he is, by many, considered to be the best North American player in the world, it seemed as if Team Liquid were about to run away with a 2-0 victory. This never happened, however, as Heroic found their footing and began to claw themselves to victory. At the scoreline of 16-13 Heroic took home Nuke and forced a third and final map.
With both teams now fired up and eager to win it was only fitting that the third and final map was to be played on Inferno - a map that is known to facilitate intense and thrilling third maps in Bo3-series. The brawl between Liquid and Heroic on Inferno was no different. Both teams refused to give their opponent an inch and it was as close as possible in the first half of Inferno. Trading rounds back and forth, Inferno was still anyone’s map to take home, going into the second half at the scoreline of 8-7. Just as in the last two maps it was Liquid to start the second half the strongest. After losing four consecutive rounds, Heroic and “cadiaN” finally woke up and became the scary beast we know Heroic to be. In the closing stages of Inferno, it seemed as if nothing went the way of Team Liquid and Heroic could ultimately claim victory at 16-12.
Highlight of the BO3-series
Heroic – Liquid (2-1) | BLAST Fall Final 2021 (Lower Bracket)
16-12 (Overpass) | 
16-13 (Nuke) | 
16-12 (Inferno) |
MVP:
