We are heading into Week 2 of VCT LOCK//IN São Paulo, and one of the most anticipated opening matches of the entire event. Fnatic and Sentinels are destined to play an elimination series from the get-go, as their entire Spring Season hangs in the balance.
Sentinels vs Fnatic – Key Match in the Openers
Sentinels (NA) and Fnatic (EUNE) last fought during the VCT 2021: Stage 2 Masters – Reykjavík. During this event; Sentinels managed to shove Fnatic into the Lower Brackets and continued their win streak all the way to the Grand Final. Fnatic did manage to get back on their feet and face Sentinels for a rematch in the Grand Final, but lost again. The deciding map for both matches was Haven and it will be interesting to see whether the two teams will turn up for a rendezvous on the map.
On paper, Fnatic seemed to have better performance and a greater presence during last season. Unlike their opponent, Fnatic secured their spot in the Valorant Champions 2022 and placed 5th-6th. In addition, they won 1st place in the VCT 2022: EMEA Stage 2 Challengers and 4th place in the Stage 2 Masters – Copenhagen. As one of their final pieces of the puzzle, Fnatic signed Chronicle, the team’s jack of all trades.
However, Sentinels are coming in hot with their 6-man roster which could provide extra flexibility for the team. Despite the fact that they didn’t qualify for Valorant Champions 2022, they’re still crowd favourites.
With a frag monster like TenZ up their sleeve and an ex-XSET mastermind as their leader, there is little to no guarantee that Fnatic is gonna have an easy time facing them. Sacy and pANcada, the Controller/Initiator duo are also a force to be reckoned with, showing just how popular and strong the Brazilian region and players have become in the Valorant esports scene.
Even though Sentinels have previously shown to be more than capable of taking Fnatic down, they should not be underestimated. With so much at stake, there is no doubt that both teams will put up one hell of a fight.
Banter Galore
These two teams have some intense banter going on all the socials right now. Shots are fired in every direction in anticipation of this match.
Sentinels posted this video mere hours before the match:
Meanwhile, Boaster has been teasing Sentinels all along.
With everything on the line tonight, we are in for one hell of series.
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