Gambit beat FURIA to set up rematch with Heroic

The CIS team left it late to secure victory but were deserved winners of this one-sided match.

Gambit will face HEROIC on Sunday in a rematch of the ESL Pro League Season 13 final after defeating FURIA 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown. The Russian team were in control for the majority of the series and could have killed the game off in two maps after a one-sided Mirage game, but FURIA snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Overpass, only to be outclassed on Train, suffering their first defeat on this map in 2021.

Gambit made a flying start to the game on Mirage, FURIA's map pick, and tore the Brazilians' defence apart during the early stages, forcing Andrei "⁠arT⁠" Piovezan to call a timeout just seven rounds in. The IEM Katowice champions continued to expose flaws in the FURIA defence, quickly hitting double-digits, before the CTs tightened up and put some rounds together. FURIA continued to chip away at Gambit's lead after the side switch, taking the pistol round convincingly, but the joy wouldn't last long as the young Russian team hit back immediately and then ran away with the game.

FURIA came out on Overpass looking a revitalised side, romping to a 7-2 lead on the CT side after keeping Gambit from stringing rounds together. The CIS team then picked up the pace and enjoyed a spell of dominance, bringing the deficit to a minimum in a half that was dominated by Paytyn "⁠junior⁠" Johnson, who racked up 17 frags and was 5-0 in opening duels. The second half was a tit-for-tat affair, with neither side managing to assert themselves. Gambit thought they had found a breakthrough when they were up 14-13 against a weak buy, but then a hail-Mary A split caught them off-guard and turned the tide of the game. With no money in the bank, the Russian team were unable to keep the series from going to a third map.

The Brazilians headed into Train looking to extend their impressive winning streak on this map, but they were put under immediate pressure by an energised Gambit side. The Brazilians were limited to just three rounds in the first half, and there was no respite for them after switching to the CT side as the CIS side ran out emphatic winners.