For Constrict Gaming, this ESEA season has been a mixed bag. During the regular season, they managed a 9–5 record and were on the verge of securing promotion to ESEA Main. However, once the play-offs began, they suffered a defeat in their very first match and, having dropped into the losers’ bracket, had to win as many as seven matches without a single defeat. They recently secured a walkover victory against NIP Impact and yesterday faced the Russian team T-hamsters.
A constant battle for survival – Constrict Gaming vs T-hamsters
This time, their opponents turned up for the match and were ready to win. The match began with a map chosen by the Russians, and it was they who had the chance to take an early 1–0 lead in maps. The chosen map turned out to be Dust 2, where Constrict very rarely play their matches and are not in particularly good form there. The Poles started on the defensive side, but the pistol round did not go their way and they had to play catch-up from the outset, trailing 0–2. Their opponents weren’t about to let that happen and went on a run of winning rounds that lasted until the score reached 6–0. It was then that our team woke up and won their first round on this map. It was merely a consolation round, however, as the opponents resumed their run of winning round after round, and the first half ended with total dominance and a score of 10–2.
After the sides switched, the Poles managed to win the pistol round, giving them a chance to mount a comeback on this map. However, this chance was quickly dashed by the Russians winning a force round, and it was T-hamsters who comfortably closed out the first map, winning 13–3.
DUST 2
(T-hamsters’ pick)
Constrict Gaming 3–13 T-hamsters
It was now time for the second map, this time selected from Constrict Gaming’s repertoire, and they had to win it to keep their hopes of qualifying for the ESEA Main alive. They started on the attacking side and, to stand a chance of winning, needed to secure a lead of a few rounds. They managed to win the pistol round, which could have given them a head start of a few rounds over their opponents, but they lost the second round, and it was the opponents who took a 3:1 lead. The first full-vs-full round went to our partner, and thanks to that, they soon managed to take a 4–3 lead, as the Russians ran out of money. They had no intention of stopping there, and after just two more rounds, their lead had stretched to three rounds. Despite this, our opponents pulled themselves together towards the end of the half and won the last three rounds, bringing the score to 6–6 at the end of the first half.
The second half started surprisingly well for the Poles, as they won the pistol round and also managed to win the anti-force round, giving them a 9–6 lead after the first three rounds. T-hamsters responded with a single win, allowing our partner to build momentum and extend the lead to 12–7. However, the opponents didn’t give up easily and won round after round, but in the end, with the score at 12–11, Constrict proved to be the better side and, thanks to their victory, took us to the deciding map – de_nuke.
TRAIN
(Constrict Gaming’s pick)
Constrict Gaming 13–11 T-hamsters
The time had come for the decider, which would determine which of these two teams would continue in the battle for ESEA Main, and which would spend another season struggling in ESEA Intermediate. Constrict started on the terror side, whilst T-hamsters were on the counter-terror side. The pistol round went to the Russians, and they took an early 3–0 lead following a failed fort by our partner. Despite this, once our partner had got their hands on the best weapons, they won as many as four rounds in a row, thereby taking the lead themselves – a lead which, unfortunately, was snatched away just as quickly, leaving the score tied at 4–4. Nevertheless, Constrict Gaming went on to win the following rounds and entered the second half with a 7–5 lead.
The second half started better for the opponents, and it was they who, thanks to winning the pistol round, levelled the score at 7–7. Just as in the first half, once the Constrict players got their hands on better weapons, they immediately started winning rounds. Their winning streak continued until the score reached 9–7, when it was broken by a round won by the Russian team; but what is delayed is not lost, and following that victory, Constrict’s determination to win grew even stronger, fuelled by their dominance. Our partner won the final map 13–8 and, with that, the entire match 2–1.
NUKE
(decider)
Constrict Gaming 13–8 T-hamsters
Who will stand in Constrict Gaming’s way now?
- vs 🇨🇿 StoneHenge, Saturday 7 June, 7.30 pm
Constrict Gaming (x.com — Facebook — twitch.tv — team profile)
English 
Polish 