IEM Rio Major Preview: Imperial
Will the legendary Brazilians be able to replicate their previous Major achievements from 2016?
Imperial:
Fernando ”fer” Alvarenga - 1.15 rating in 2022
Marcelo ”chelo” Cespedes - 1.15 rating in 2022
Gabriel ”FalleN” Toledo - 1.09 rating in 2022
Ricardo ”boltz” Prass - 1.08 rating in 2022
Vinicius ”VINI” Figueiredo - 0.97 rating in 2022
Qualified as: Challengers
Last Major: 9-11th
Odds of winning IEM Rio Major: 35-50
The hometown favourites. It’s no understatement to say that Imperial will be by far the most popular team at the upcoming Major tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Brazilian “Last Dance” squad, led by the legendary AWPer Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, have had massive backing and support from the Brazilian fans ever since the creation of the team in early 2022.
The huge fan support is an aspect which could help and elevate FalleN and company massively at the Major, especially now when all matches are set to be played in front of a crowd. Something that plays in when you are to consider the favourites of each match – the same can be said about their countrymen from FURIA, although they don’t hold the same popularity as Imperial.
The signing of the 24-year-old Brazilian Marcelo ”chelo” Cespedes looks to be a very good pickup for the veteran team. By replacing Lincoln “fnx” Lau with chelo, Imperial has received a very potent rifler who offers a lot more firepower to the server than the ageing fnx.
His arrival + the support and help from the Brazilian crowd could make Imperial a real underdog at IEM Rio Major – maybe not to take the overall title in the end – but as a team that could upset a lot of profiled teams.
Pley.gg prediction: 9-11th
World ranking: #19
You can bet on IEM Rio Major right here.
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