The MongolZ booked their Esports World Cup playoff berth by winning the Group D lower semi-final 2-0 against paiN, HLTV reported. Nuke finished 13-10 and Inferno 13-4, and the result ended the Brazilian side's run at the group stage in Paris. The tie was an elimination match: the winner went through to the playoff bracket and the loser went home.
Nuke goes the distance
Neither side pulled away early on Nuke. Rodrigo "biguzera" Bittencourt racked up a triple kill outside, helping his team-mates secure a force-buy round and crippling the opposing economy, but Garidmagnai "bLitz" Byambasuren answered back with a triple kill of his own in a half that ended 7-5.
paiN fought hard across several rounds to no avail. bLitz pulled off a 180-degree spin for another triple kill to bring his side to match point, and The MongolZ closed the map out by a three-round margin at 13-10.
Inferno slips away from paiN
Where The MongolZ leaned on team co-operation to secure rounds, paiN relied far more on individual heroics. biguzera got his side off to a flying start with an ace in the first eco round of Inferno, but the advantage lasted only three rounds as the Brazilians foundered on the Mongolian squad's own map pick.
Sodbayar "Techno" Munkhbold replied with an ace of his own in the anti-eco round, the third ace of the series, hastening The MongolZ towards an 8-4 half-time lead. Having taken the fourth of four pistol rounds in the series, they then dominated the CT side after the switch, stringing together five consecutive successful defences to finish the map 13-4.
biguzera put together plenty of highlights across the series and tried to carry his side, yet it was all to no avail. Rounds were traded throughout on Nuke, but on Inferno the Mongolian squad controlled much of the tempo and wrapped the map up quickly, taking the series without needing a decider. The MongolZ move on into the playoff bracket; paiN are out of the tournament.
