As a long-time NAVI fan, I must admit that the past two matches have been nothing short of heartbreaking. The team, once a powerhouse, now finds itself on the brink of elimination at the Shanghai Major 2024, a result that seems almost unthinkable for a defending champion and perennial title contender.
At the Shanghai competition’s one-on-one stage, NAVI suffered a heavy defeat by 13-2 in the Map Mirage. This outcome necessitates their participation in elimination rounds on Day 3.
NAVI are one loss away from elimination!
The game was a distressing experience for NAVI supporters, as the Ukrainian team appeared disjointed. Star players Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov and Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy had disappointing outings, delivering what could be considered their poorest individual performances in a long time. w0nderful managed to secure only three kills, while b1t scored just two. Both players recorded career-low ratings in the match.
In the face of relentless battles, NAVI found themselves unable to compete against a powerhouse Spirit team, expertly guided by Leonid “Chopper” Vishnyakov. From the get-go to the very end, Spirit’s aggression and strategic implementation on Mirage overpowered NAVI without respite.
In the recent game, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen’s team experienced a second straight disappointing performance, having previously lost 1-0 against MIBR. The game started disastrously with a score of 0-9, which set the stage for their defeat. As they approached Day 2, NAVI required a strong comeback, but individual performances let them down once more, adding to their troubles.
Great round
— Team Spirit (@Team__Spirit) December 6, 2024
It’s almost impossible to imagine NAVI not advancing to the playoffs given their status as defending champions and consistent contenders for the title. The current situation presents one of the toughest challenges that Aleksib has encountered since joining the team in 2023.
In the meantime, Team Spirit has proven its strength with this convincing victory. Chopper’s leadership has been crucial in steering his team to a dominant win against one of the top teams globally, further solidifying Spirit as a potential surprise contender in this competition. Despite encountering some difficulties lately, they managed only three wins from their last five matches in the European RMRs (Regional Major Rankings).
The end has come for this Mirage stage and our BO1 matches, but let’s cross our fingers for improved performance in the best-of-three rounds. #CS2 #Navi_Navigation #ShanghaiMajor2024 (paraphrased)
— NAVI (@natusvincere) December 6, 2024
Tomorrow morning, NAVI and GamerLegion will square off at 7 AM CET in a winner-takes-all series, while Spirit and HEROIC will clash at 10 AM CET in a contest to move forward. Given NAVI’s illustrious history, missing out on the playoffs would be an astonishing turn of events, and they’ll be under immense pressure as they strive to survive.
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2024-12-06 20:09