Having not long ago been signed by the British organisation, Coalesce have got off to a flying start by taking down Endpoint in the first group stage game of CCT West Europe Series 1. The series did not start well for Oscar “AZUWU” Bell and company on Mirage (2-16), however, they turned the tables on Inferno (16-6) and used that momentum to win the match on Vertigo (22-18).
For Coalesce their strength was summoned when their backs were against the wall. On Inferno and Vertigo Coalesce were winning eco rounds, not just on occasion, but at an alarmingly consistent rate. This ability to win seemingly unwinnable rounds paired with an incredible Inferno performance from Kristian “Krs7N” Mladenov culminated in a crucial 2-1 win over Endpoint and an incredible start to their CCT campaign.
On the other side of the coin, Endpoint will be disappointed in the loss, especially after their electric start on Mirage. Coalesce found themselves completely unable to establish any sort of defence on the map as Guy “Nertz” Iluz led his side in taking mid-control and destroying his opponents in any duels they attempted. After riding the high of Mirage, Endpoint could not close out the series and instead were given a taste of their own medicine on Inferno. The silver lining for Endpoint was the incredible performances from Nertz and MiÅ‚osz “mhL” Knasiak who combined for 127 kills.
No Rifle? No problem for @shyyneCS😎 pic.twitter.com/Kvxm23WbfL
— UKCSGO (@ukcsgo) February 6, 2023
From the start of Mirage, Endpoint stream rolled through mid to make their way onto whichever site they fancied and Coalesce could not find an answer. AZUWUÂ did his best to keep Coalesce in the game, but his 13 kills on the map were far from enough. Endpoint then ran away with the lead and ended the half 13-2.
The momentum of Endpoint could not be stopped as the second half of Mirage went by in a flash with Coalesce failing to piece a T-sided round together. AZUWU was left in a clutch in the final round which his teammate, Oliver “leaf” Jackson, must have deemed to be unwinnable as he left the server before the round ended.
.@mhLCSGO shuts down Coalesce to bring Endpoint one step closer to victory pic.twitter.com/rLNVm5zf9F
— UKCSGO (@ukcsgo) February 6, 2023
Mentality can often be a buzzword used in CS:GO, but if you’ve ever suffered a tilting loss you know that it can be tough to come back from. It often requires a mental reset that not a lot of people can achieve in such a short space of time, well for Coalesce it was achievable. After a crushing loss on Mirage, they came out swinging on a map they are known for dominating. The British-majority side quickly strung together 12 T-rounds on the back of a 1.68 HLTV rating from leaf at the half. Coalesce were firing on all cylinders as only one of their players had single-digit kills by round 15.
On the CT side, Coalesce didn’t show as much dominance, but they were able to get the four rounds they needed to close out the game. Kia “Surreal” Man attempted to bring his side back into the game on the T side, but it was too little too late as the series headed to Vertigo.
AZUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU pic.twitter.com/tihQS07C9G
— UKCSGO (@ukcsgo) February 6, 2023
Following both sides having commanding performances on their map picks Vertigo would be the finale to this epic series. Unlike the first two maps, neither Coalesce nor Endpoint would run away with the lead, and it was instead a nail-bitingly close affair. At first, that didn’t seem to be the case as Coalesce strung together some beautiful CT-sided rounds and continued to win ecos, but towards the end of the first half nertz once again stepped up to the plate. Due to Endpoint’s resurgence, the first half ended competitively with Coalesce up 9-6.
Now on the CT side, Endpoint pulled themselves back into the game and quickly tied it up 9-9 and then took the lead. The momentum that Coalesce had picked up from Inferno seemed to have finally stopped, but just as Endpoint took the lead, they re-ignited themselves to make things competitive. Play continued to be back and forth until finally Coalesce broke the economy of Endpoint and put themselves on match point, 15-14. Coalesce were on the verge of Victory, but it was just out of reach. An early man disadvantage and a failed execute onto the A-site meant that Endpoint forced overtime.
In a similar fashion to the first 30 rounds of Vertigo, overtime was highly competitive with both sides winning a tight round. However, the veterans of Endpoint showed up when it mattered the most to give their side match point at 18-16. Coalesce, despite their inexperience at a high level, did not lose their cool and kept themselves in the game. In the final round of overtime, AZUWU came up big with three kills to save Coalesce from the jaws of defeat.
Determined not to waste the opportunity that AZUWU had given them, Coalesce made one final push and did not drop a single round on their CT half of the second overtime. Just one round away from victory Coalesce found themselves in a 2v4, and they needed someone to step up big, this time it would not be AZUWU or Krs7N, but instead, it was Tobias “shyyne” Sæther who got the final two kills to ensure his sides 2-1 victory over Endpoint.
.@TeamCoalesce are the victors! pic.twitter.com/3OAM2TAKrk
— UKCSGO (@ukcsgo) February 6, 2023
