Week 4 in the 2023 VCT Americas closes off the “super week” with a massive for runner-up in the standings. Cloud9 welcomes FURIA in a duel for regional pride and a chance at trying for first down the line.
Both Cloud 9 and FURIA Esports are currently tied for second place, sitting 3-1 on the leaderboard from four weeks of competition.
Source: @valesports_na | Twitter
Cloud9 vs FURIA – Setting expectations
The match will be especially intense given they are both teams who have long found success in their respective regions. FURIA’s previous matches all being against South American teams, except this weekend’s duel vs EG, who they struggled with. Their recent results have reinforced their standing as a top Brazilian team only beneath the likes of the World Champions, LOUD.
Similarly, Cloud 9 have managed to dominate their North American rivals 100 Thieves, NRG and Evil Geniuses, but had also dropped their only match to LOUD earlier on in the competition. This will be yet another good indicator of strength between the North & South American teams, and is crucial given only the top 3 teams in the 2023 VCT Americas League will gain qualification to Masters.
Given how strong LOUD has been recently, if Cloud 9 is defeated, we could potentially see no NA teams qualify to Masters given due to Leviathan also being a major threat, along with the strong underdog potential from MIBR.
However, Cloud 9 are slightly favored, despite having some early growing pains due to the loss of yay, their newly signed talent exceeded expectations.
C9 Valorant celebrating their Pearl victory vs NRG – Source: Twitter
While some may ponder the heights Cloud 9 have reached if they had been able to retain Yay, the team as they are now remain a key contender to finish the league top 3 and represent North America in Masters. The team’s great adaptability outside from settling their new players and finding their form is also reflected in their recent map picks, Fracture, Split and Lotus, all amongst the newest maps to the competitive rotation. While the C9 agent comps are pretty versatile, the team has fielded Killjoy in every VCT competitive match this year, with this super week, likely being no different.
FURIA on the other hand have had very different first map picks, recently going for Icebox and Ascent instead. The team has a dynamic agent selection, with players being able to cover multiple roles, allowing a switch up in terms of agent composition every game. While the Initiator may change from game to game, FURIA generally relies on either the Skye or Sova as a core in their comps.
In the end, map selection and performance should determine the outcome. If we end up on Haven or Fracture, it will be a FURIA victory.
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