The ESEA Intermediate season turned out to be a real rollercoaster of emotions for VoFoxen. The team went through periods of excellent form, painful losing streaks and a battle to secure a place in the play-offs right up until the very end of the regular season. Ultimately, the team finished the regular season with a record of 7 wins and 7 defeats, which secured their place in the knockout stage. There, VoFoxen played a further six matches, trying to keep their dreams of promotion to a higher division alive.
Although the start of the season looked very promising, and VoFoxen showed some truly solid form at times, the middle of the season proved to be much more difficult. A run of painful defeats severely complicated the team’s situation and meant that the battle for the play-offs went on practically until the very end. Despite this, the team managed to regain their form at a crucial moment in the regular season and secured their place in the next stage of the competition.
In the play-offs, VoFoxen once again showed their character. After dropping into the lower bracket, the team managed to win several crucial series, and for a moment it even seemed as though they might still have a realistic chance of promotion to a higher division. Ultimately, however, their season came to an end in the middle stages of the play-offs. As for the dreams of promotion to the Main or Advanced divisions, these had to be put on hold until at least the next split.
A demanding regular season and the battle for the play-offs
VoFoxen kicked off the ESEA Intermediate season in truly impressive style. The very first weeks of the competition showed that the team could be one of the most difficult sides to face in the entire division. The start of the campaign was almost perfect, and a string of victories saw the team quickly rise to the top of the table.
Their first match against The Thatchers ended in a comfortable 13–5 victory on Ancient. VoFoxen looked very solid from the outset and did not allow their opponents to take control of the map. The clash with Quadrivium on Nuke, however, was much more evenly matched, with the final result decided by individual rounds. Ultimately, however, VoFoxen once again emerged victorious from this clash, winning 13–11 and adding further vital points to their tally.
The real show of strength, however, came during the match against GOLIRA. The game, played on Mirage, ended in absolute domination by VoFoxen, who conceded just a single round to their opponents and closed out the map with a score of 13–1. Shortly afterwards, the team also added a walkover victory against WeClear Junior to their tally. As a result, the team’s record after the first few weeks looked absolutely superb.
Such a strong start meant that expectations surrounding the team began to grow. VoFoxen performed particularly well on Ancient and Nuke. Indeed, the team’s form at the time suggested they were genuine contenders for the top spots in the regular season table. At that point, however, there was little to suggest that the coming weeks of the season would prove far more difficult for the team.
A difficult spell in the season and a run of painful defeats
After a brilliant start to the season, however, a much tougher period lay ahead for VoFoxen. The team, which had been at the top of the table just a short while earlier, began to gradually lose its consistency. Unfortunately, subsequent matches increasingly ended in painful defeats. It all began with an extremely close match against Nordic Valor on Ancient. Despite a strong performance, VoFoxen ultimately lost 11–13, and a few missed rounds towards the end of the match proved very costly.
Unfortunately, the subsequent matches also did not go the team’s way. The clash against Sangal 1XALTERS on Mirage ended in a 6–13 defeat, and shortly afterwards came one of the most painful losses of the entire season. The match against fullTNT on Overpass finished 1–13, with VoFoxen unable to find their rhythm practically from the start. Their opponents completely controlled the course of the match, and the result itself had a significant impact on the team’s position in the table.
VoFoxen’s biggest problem, however, was that even more evenly matched games began to end in defeat. The match against 3Nation on Ancient ended in a narrow 11–13 loss. Meanwhile, an incredibly thrilling clash with printer went all the way to overtime, where their opponents ultimately prevailed 15–19. Shortly afterwards, the team also lost 10–13 to Cillerian on Nuke, which further complicated their situation.
This run of setbacks saw VoFoxen slip from a very comfortable position down to mid-table and suddenly find themselves having to fight hard to retain their place in the play-offs. Although many matches were very closely contested, the team lacked effectiveness at crucial moments and greater consistency in their form. After an excellent start to the season, the team found itself in by far the most difficult period of the entire campaign.
VoFoxen’s late-season resurgence and qualification for the play-offs
Despite the very difficult situation, VoFoxen had no intention of throwing in the towel. The end of the regular season showed that the team still possessed enormous potential and was capable of returning to its best form precisely when the stakes were at their highest. After a run of painful defeats, the team had their backs against the wall, and every subsequent match could prove crucial in the battle for the play-offs.
The turning point came during the match against Souls Heart Esport on Nuke. The match was incredibly close from the start, with both teams trading the lead for a long time. Ultimately, VoFoxen held their nerve in the closing stages and won 16–13, ending their run of poor results. It was a crucial victory, not only in terms of points but also mentally, as the team regained their confidence ahead of the season’s decisive matches.
Subsequent matches showed that the improvement in form was no fluke. The clash against Doom Squirrel on Ancient ended in a very convincing 13–4 victory. VoFoxen controlled the flow of the map from the outset and once again looked very comfortable on one of their strongest arenas. The team put in an equally strong performance in their match against Evolved Gaming on Nuke, where they won 13–6 and moved significantly closer to qualifying for the play-offs.
The regular season concluded with a 7–13 defeat to Vesteria on Inferno. However, this time the result did not rule out the team’s chances of progressing. Ultimately, VoFoxen finished the regular season with a record of 7 wins and 7 defeats, which was enough to secure their place in the ESEA Intermediate play-offs. Although the road to the knockout stage proved far more difficult than it might have seemed after the first few weeks of the season, the qualification itself had to be regarded as a considerable success. Particularly given the scale of the crisis the team had to face during the middle of the season.
Play-offs full of excitement and a battle right to the very end
Qualifying for the play-offs was a huge opportunity for VoFoxen to keep their dreams of promotion to a higher division alive. From the very start, however, the play-offs looked set to be an extremely demanding part of the season. Right from the first match, the team came up against a very tough opponent, and their subsequent journey through the lower bracket meant they had to play with absolutely no margin for error, where every defeat could spell the end of their campaign.
The first playoff encounter against Reveal TACTX turned out to be an incredibly thrilling series, although it ultimately ended in a 1–2 defeat for VoFoxen. Despite the losing result, the contest itself was far more evenly matched than the final score might suggest. The first map, Inferno, did not go the team’s way and ended in a clear 4–13 defeat, which put VoFoxen in a difficult position right from the start of the series.
However, they bounced back on Nuke, where the team showed a completely different side to themselves and won 13–6, taking the series to the decisive Ancient. There, both teams fought a very evenly matched battle for a full thirty rounds, and the winner had to be decided in overtime. Unfortunately, it was Reveal TACTX who kept their cool in the crucial moments and won 14–16, sending VoFoxen down to the lower bracket.
The next round turned out to be something of a breather for the team, as VoFoxen were awarded a bye, allowing them to catch their breath briefly and prepare for their upcoming matches. Upon returning to the server, however, the team looked much more confident. The match against SFire was a complete domination by VoFoxen. First, they secured a comfortable 13–4 victory on Ancient. An identical result on Nuke then sealed a swift 2–0 victory and progression further up the bracket. It was at this point that the team began to resemble the side from the best moments of the regular season once again… Confident, well-organised and effective on their maps, which gave them renewed hope of continuing their run in the play-offs.
Three maps, plenty of excitement and the end of their dreams of progression
VoFoxen’s next opponents were Bad Beavers, and the series itself looked set to be a tough contest from the outset. The first map, Inferno, ended in an 8–13 defeat. However, as in previous matches, the team was able to bounce back quickly after a poor start. On Ancient, VoFoxen put in a far better performance, completely dominating their opponents and winning 13–3. Everything came down to Overpass, where the excitement reached its peak. The closely fought match ended in a 13–11 victory for VoFoxen.
The clash against KAMKGG brought even more drama. VoFoxen got off to a good start in the series, winning Ancient 13–11. However, on Nuke, they completely lost their rhythm and suffered a heavy 2–13 defeat. This result led to the decisive map, Mirage, where the team had to show their character once again. VoFoxen rose to the challenge and, after a solid performance, won 13–9. In doing so, they kept their hopes of further progression alive and continued their journey through the lower bracket.
Cillerian proved to be the final hurdle in the play-offs. The first map, Nuke, was a real thriller and ended in a 19–15 victory for VoFoxen after extra time. This still offered hope for another upset in the bracket. At that point, everything suggested the team could extend their run of strong performances. Unfortunately, the subsequent maps went to their opponents. Overpass ended in a clear 3–13 defeat. Anubis, meanwhile, saw no improvement in VoFoxen’s performance, as they lost 5–13. Thus, the team’s playoff run came to an end.
Despite being knocked out, however, VoFoxen can look back on this stage of the season with some optimism. The team won several very tough series. Furthermore, they repeatedly showed character in high-stakes matches and proved that they can compete even under intense pressure. This was particularly evident after dropping into the lower bracket.
VoFoxen remain in Intermediate
Ultimately, the 57th season of ESEA Intermediate ended for VoFoxen without promotion to a higher division. The team finished their campaign around 50th place in the play-offs. Unfortunately, this was not enough to secure promotion to either ESEA Main or Advanced. Nevertheless, it would be difficult to describe the season as a complete failure. After all, the team showed that it can compete against strong opponents and repeatedly demonstrated its potential throughout the split.
The biggest problem, however, was a lack of consistency in form. VoFoxen alternated between very good runs and painful defeats, which ultimately cost them promotion. Everything suggests, however, that the team will return for the next ESEA Intermediate season, where, with greater consistency, they could challenge for a much better result.
VoFoxen
Source: Faceit.com
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