Astralis eliminated from PGL Major Antwerp

Astralis have been eliminated from the PGL Major Antwerp after losing the battle for the last Legends Stage spot against Team Liquid. The four-time Major champions will have to wait a little longer to claim their fifth trophy.

Astralis and Liquid competed in a do-or-die match, with the winner advancing to the next stage and the loser being eliminated from the tournament right away. Liquid chose Vertigo as the first map and followed by picking up early frags to gain a 7-1 lead. However, the Danish squad quickly retaliated and equalized the series at the end of the first half.

The second half was full of action with the scoreboard hanging like a sea-saw. Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander showcased an amazing performance at B site and pulled off an incredible 1-vs-3 to gain a lead again. After losing control of the match, Astralis counterattacked fiercely to pull off a comeback.

Liquid’s defenses, however, proved to be stronger than ever as they took the game to a 15-14 scoreline. In the last round, Keith “NAF” Markovic won an impressive 1-vs-2 to close the map with style. Keith “NAF” Markovic picked up the highest kills from Liquid’s side with a K/D/A of 27/20/4, but the real delight of a match was the performance of Benjamin “blameF” Bremer. He picked up staggering 40 kills with the K/D/A of 40/20/4, claiming a record for the most kills scored in regular play at a Major, according to ESL.

 

A wake-up call for Astralis

Although the first map was tight, the second was a true nail-biter. Astralis started with a strong opening on Ancient to gain an early lead. However, Liquid caught the Danes off-guard in the following rounds and evened out the score. With an 8-7 lead at halftime, Liquid managed to keep its momentum.

During the second half on Ancient, Nick “Nitro” Cannella penetrated Astralis’ defenses to extend the team’s lead even more. He delivered three stunning clutches to send Astralis to their knees. However, blameF and gla1ve stepped in again for the squad, bringing the score to 12-12. Despite their best efforts, Liquid won the map 16-13, claiming the Legends Stage spot.

It’s a tough break for Astralis, who were surely hoping to win the trophy for the fifth time. While blameF has proven his worth time and time again, k0nfig’s performances have been comparatively inconsistent. Asfer “Farlig” Jensen was brought to the roster earlier in February to add more strength, but despite his firepower, the team failed to make a strong impact. With this loss, the world’s most successful CS:GO team (by number of CS:GO Majors won) had a complete meltdown at the PGL 2022 Major Antwerp.

Team Liquid, on the other hand, continue to fight for the prestigious trophy, starting with a match against Heroic on Saturday. With the elimination of Complexity Gaming, they are the only team representing North America at the Major. Although Liquid redeemed themselves with a strong comeback, they still have a difficult path ahead of them.

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