IEM Rio Major Dark Horses

CS:GO is not exactly an esport in which we see a lot of dark horses at S-tier tournaments, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist at all.

Just just a few days to go until the start of IEM Rio Major, fans are probably asking themselves if Natus Vincere, FaZe Clan, Team Vitality, Team Liquid, and Cloud9 can be upset at the biggest LAN event of the season.

If everything goes according to plan, one of these five competitors who also happen to be the top five teams in the world right now, should win the tournament. But what if we’re underestimating one of the other participants?

Overlooked and underrated teams

There are two teams in this tournament that might win the title. Their odds are quite low, but the potential of their rosters is quite high. It all depends on how much and how smart they’ve trained since the end of the RMRs.

The first competitor that nobody seems to take seriously enough is Sprout. Right now, thanks to the shuffles that happened in 2022, they have some very hungry and very talented players on their roster. The IGL is Ismail “refrezh” Ali, who used to play for Heroic and won several important trophies.

His contribution will be vital to Sprout’s success. Four years ago, the analyst desk used to make fun of the team, saying that you can’t spell “Sprout” without “out”. But now, after the third place obtained in the European RMR A for IEM Rio Major, Sprout are given a lot more respect. And they fully deserve it.

We will find out in the Challengers Stage of IEM Rio Major if Sprout are ready to do something Major in CS:GO. There’s a decent chance that this team will finish the tournament in the top eight or even the top four!

Another team that will be worth watching at IEM Rio Major is 00NATION. Marcelo “coldzera” David and Epitacio “TACO” de Melo have worked really hard to build their own squad and qualify for a CS:GO Major.

At the RMRs, their efforts paid out and now they’ll have the opportunity to show the world and the Brazilian fans what they’re capable of. On paper, they have low odds of qualifying for the Legends Stage. But that could quickly change when they start playing in front of the Brazilian fans.

It’s been a long time since coldzera and TACO have felt the atmosphere of a big stage and let’s not forget that both of them used to win S-tier trophies with SK Gaming.

Header: Sprout