FURIA Reach PGL Masters Quarterfinals After Beating Liquid

FURIA defeated Liquid 2-0 at the PGL Masters Bucharest tournament to advance to the quarterfinals. Johnny "JT" Theodosiou's new roster gave hope by beating MOUZ and Legacy at the event, but the old weaknesses resurfaced against Aurora and then against FURIA.

The most decisive player in the match was YEKINDAR. Former Liquid player Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis won three critical rounds on his own using only his pistol. The 19th round on Nuke was a particularly heavy blow. Liquid had played well on the T side and seemed poised to pull off a major upset on this map, which FURIA had picked.

YEKINDAR was also effective with the rifle. He recorded over 100 ADR on Inferno, which guaranteed FURIA's place in the playoffs. Liquid had won nine and lost one on this map. The team had also beaten Aurora, Legacy and MOUZ on Inferno. For that reason, the result on Inferno can be considered one of the most positive developments for the roster so far.

However, the psychological impact of the match was too heavy for Liquid. Despite a strong performance from Keith "NAF" Markovic, YEKINDAR's pistol play damaged the team's morale. While FURIA comfortably moved on to the playoffs, Liquid will have to answer for the chances it missed in Bucharest.