After the release of the November Top 10 Rankings, there was some controversy over the 3rd/4th positions, with some arguing that FM should’ve been placed above CAZ. These are two teams that have faced each other time and time again, with finals and online qualifiers between them. This time they’ll meet in the second bracket round at Insomnia56, where a chance to settle scores once again comes to a head.
jakem pulling his weight with 2 back-to-back 4ks
The first map was Dust 2, with FM starting on the CT side. CAZ took the lead in the game, picking up the pistol and the following two rounds but from then on it wasn’t straightforward. FM pushed on to take the coming four rounds, starting to roll on their opposite numbers. However CAZ put up a brick wall and stopped them continuing on, putting the game equal at 4-4. CAZ took a few more rounds, with Kryptix picking up a fairly nice clutch in the 9th round, which could show to the half being incredibly one sided CAZ. But then it was that resilience that the FM boys have shown in the past that managed to equal out the game, with a wonderful retake of the B-site, leaving only a slight advantage to CAZ at the half. With the second half coming in, the roles swapped around and it was FM taking it, giving them the advantage for the following round. The first gun round came with a win for CAZ, eliminating the heads of the their countrymen and evening out the match. With FM then having to eco, it should’ve been plain sailing for the CAZ team – but it wasn’t. FM once again running themselves through and managing to plant the bomb with a neat little glock train, throwing the other side out of the site they were holding, causing CAZ to run back and save their weapons. With a bit of to-and-fro, with CAZ wining the few rounds between each other, there never really was any run on the game until it was 12-10 in favour of FM, where CAZ pushed forward winning the following rounds, only dropping one to the end of the game. The final round was an easy one for CAZ, not dropping a player.
Dust 2 – Final score fm-esports 13-16 CAZ eSports
The second map was Train, and it was fm-esports taking the pistol round after CAZ managed to get a plant before the FM lads took a cheeky rotate from the other plant. The second round saw a forcebuy from CAZ, with a fairly good push but once separated FM made easy work of them. The proceeding eco was a similar story if not for the bomb plant allowing the CAZ side to go and full buy up. With that full buy, CAZ managed to take that round, and the five following, a mix of ecos and full-buys from the previous teams, already a very good showing for T side Train. It was at 3-5 before fm-esports managed to attempt a proper push, but even that was thwarted from CAZ pushing them back into an eco. Before long, and when FM managed to get their pieces in order after a pause, they took out the majority of the CAZ lineup, leaving only r0m saving the side’s AWP at 4-7. With FM picking up their first round since the start of the map it was looking up, until CAZ came back hard and stopped them in their tracks and pushing on to the next couple rounds before FM hit back and picked up the last two rounds of the half to give themselves a chance at victory on the map, finishing it at 6-9. CAZ moving into the stronger CT side should have a chance to take this game, but with a complete Glock block at the stairs to B FM were causing damage to the CAZ side, FM moved the bomb to A should’ve taken them to win but it was CAZ coming back and managing to roll the FM side and come in to defuse the bomb, with only Powell left to try and save it. CAZ built on that and managed to continue on and managed to take the majority of the rounds, even with FM taking them close with first a buy and then an eco – both times r0m saving the CAZ side. With FM next buying up they managed to push onto site, but CAZ still push them down and block Max from planting at the end. 6-15 took FM to a forcebuy, managing to plant but a lurk from jakem nearly saw themselves through but not before being stopped by Immi on the bomb, before Kryptix was stopped by the same person. CAZ then ecos the next round, only a few pistols bought, but they still managed to push straight onto the FM side, leaving only two players to defend before FM then took them down. CAZ then manage to buy up, and manage to take down the majority of the T side after FM take out two of their players at the start. CAZ then on an eco with only a few other pistols and then take a lot of FM down, only Joee managing to stop r0m from lurking behind. It then move on into what became the final round, which FM started strong by taking down the majority of the CAZ side, but then the opposition hit back with Kryptix sitting up in window taking two of the players out, before dropping down and joining r0m. It was then they sat on the bomb, with r0m protecting him from two FM players surrounding him. Kryptix sat on the bomb and managed to defuse it even during a molotov
Train – Final score: FM-eSports 10-16 CAZ eSports
This result is just the latest upset in the tournament, propping alongside with tournament favourites ROCCAT being sent home and seeded team Rasta Gaming also failing to leave groups. This will reignite the discussion over seeding, and potentially the rankings, of who goes where. But it’s not the end of FM as they move into the lower bracket, where they could potentially meet again to settle the score.
Series score: FM-eSports 0-2 CAZ eSports
