IEM Katowice 2024Monte send Cloud9 packing in Katowice
The Russian team's decision to go AWPer-less has once again come into question.
Monte live to fight another day at IEM Katowice 2024 after beating Cloud9 2-0 in Group B’s lower bracket. The Ukrainian team recovered from slow starts on both maps and picked up hard-fought wins in another series where Cloud9’s lack of a dedicated AWPer came back to haunt them.
Kirill "Boombl4" Mikhailov’s had some good moments with the AWP, but the team clearly lacked the sort of impact that a player like Volodymyr "Woro2k" Veletniuk can provide. The Ukrainian ended the series with 25 AWP kills and had a stunning ace on Mirage that shifted the momentum in Monte’s favor.
"It’s easier for the whole team when we understand that they don’t have an AWPer," Woro2k said after the match. "It’s easier to take space. It was good for us."
| Date | Matches | |
|---|---|---|
| IEM Katowice 2024 | ||
| 06/02/2024 |
13:30
|
Match |
Monte got off to a slow start on Overpass and found themselves chasing a 4-0 deficit without putting up much resistance. The landscape of the game changed after that, however, as the Ukrainian team tightened up their defense and won eight rounds in a row, with Alexander "br0" Bro leading the charge with a 13-5 score.
Cloud9 brought that streak to an end after switching to the CT side, but their respite was brief as Monte won three in a row once they had money in the bank. With no margin for error, the Russian side kept their opponents at bay and took the game the full distance, but it was all in vain as Monte secured the final round to prevent overtime.
Mirage began in the same manner as the previous map, with Cloud9 in control during the early stages of the game. Down 6-0, Monte found some success after upping the pace, but Cloud9 kept their composure and took a four-round lead into the break.
Cloud9 added to their lead with a clean pistol round, but there would be no follow-up as Monte responded immediately. With Woro2k and Sergiy "DemQQ" Demchenko leading the charge, the Ukrainian team set up a tight defense, and the Ukrainian AWPer pulled off a sensational ace in the 18th round.
Denis "electroNic" Sharipov still kept Cloud9’s comeback hopes alive with a 1v2 clutch towards the end of the half, equalizing the score at 11-11, but Monte didn’t let that get in their heads and put the series to bed.
"I think we will play better next game," Woro2k said. "It was the second game of the season for us. We need some matches to get in better shape."
 Monte |
K - D | Swing | ADR | KAST | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 - 32 | +3.28% | 87.3 | 81.2% | 1.41 | |
| 39 - 30 | +0.80% | 81.9 | 75.0% | 1.23 | |
| 31 - 31 | -0.18% | 81.5 | 68.8% | 1.13 | |
| 33 - 31 | -1.79% | 68.8 | 70.8% | 1.01 | |
| 29 - 34 | +0.86% | 67.0 | 83.3% | 0.95 |
 Cloud9 |
K - D | Swing | ADR | KAST | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 - 33 | +2.01% | 76.9 | 75.0% | 1.08 | |
| 33 - 37 | -1.99% | 81.6 | 77.1% | 1.06 | |
| 33 - 30 | +1.98% | 62.3 | 72.9% | 1.00 | |
| 29 - 40 | -1.28% | 75.9 | 72.9% | 0.91 | |
| 28 - 38 | -3.69% | 68.8 | 68.8% | 0.86 |
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