SLAKE have made a number of changes to their line-up between the last few ESEA seasons. They’ve replaced the team’s core, and bunnyhug has recently joined them in place of Peter. At the end of their last run in ESEA Intermediate, they finished with a 5:1 record. Two more matches took place yesterday. How did they get on? Is their record even more impressive now? Here are the answers.
Poland vs Russia – SLAKE vs Real esports
The first match played yesterday was against the Russian team Real esports. The match took place on the de_ancient map, which is a favourite among many underground teams, including SLAKE. However, the opponents got off to a good start, winning the pistol round and taking a 2:0 lead. Our team failed to respond immediately, giving their opponents the chance to extend their lead – an opportunity they capitalised on. The 4–0 scoreline gave the Russian players some breathing space, but not for long. The Poles pulled themselves together and won the next four rounds, levelling the score. However, the opponents struck back again and regained a four-point lead, this time ending the half with a score of 8–4.
The second pistol round in this match, however, went to our partner, giving them a chance to level the score, trailing by just two rounds. The Russians were determined not to let the match end in a draw at any cost and pulled away by another two points. For them, however, it wasn’t over yet; they added another two rounds, giving them six chances to secure the victory. The first attempt was unsuccessful, but they succeeded on the second, and the match ended 13–7 in favour of Real esports. SLAKE thus suffered their second defeat of the season.
| SLAKE |  |
7:13 |  |
Real esports | | | Ancient |  |
Intermediate S53, Round 7 |
An hour after the previous match, the next one took place, this time on a map often referred to as the ‘Polish map’ – de_mirage. The match finally began with the Polish team winning the pistol round. There wasn’t much to celebrate, though, as the opponents immediately responded to the lead with a quick 2:2 draw. SLAKE didn’t let them get a taste of the lead, however, and despite losing it, they made a swift comeback to take a 4:2 lead. The opponents managed to respond to that too, bringing the score level once more, this time at 4–4. This time, however, the opponents managed to take the lead – albeit by just one point – which was immediately reclaimed by the Poles. The Poles also took the last two rounds, and the first half ended with a score of 7–5.
In the second half, the opponents managed to win the pistol round, but this was broken, and it was SLAKE who began the second half by extending their lead to 9–6. They didn’t stop there and added another two rounds. The Turks managed to respond, but only once, which spurred our partner on even further; without a moment’s hesitation, they brought the match to a close with a 13–7 victory. Thanks to this victory, SLAKE added a sixth win to their record, bringing their record after eight matches to 6:2.
| SLAKE | |
13–7 | |
Team Phoenix | | | Mirage | |
Intermediate S53, Round 8 |
Who will SLAKE be facing next?
- vs 🇹🇷 Altay Espor, Thursday 8 May, 8.00 pm
- vs 🇷🇺 RoadToTokyo, Friday 9 May, 8.00 pm
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