The North American VCT Last Chance Qualifier: Shopify Rebellion vs Cloud9
Yesterday’s evening match featured the talented underdog squad, Shopify Rebellion, facing off against Cloud9, which was once considered the best team in North America. It was also the debut of the Shopify men’s VALORANT team, who previously competed under Luminosity.
Cloud9 and Shopify did not disappoint, providing fans with a thrilling match filled with heart-pounding overtime rounds and close maps. Despite the scoreline of 2-0 in favor of C9, the series was much closer than it seemed.
Both teams have shown promise in 2022, but they have struggled to compete against the top teams in North America. Cloud9, in particular, has been out of form since their roster changes earlier in the season, despite their previous success in international LAN events.
Shopify hoped that a change in organization would bring new life to their team, but they have yet to break through to the top tier of VALORANT. However, they have had some close matches against other North American favorites.
The match began with C9 dominating on their defense during the Ascent map. However, moose from Shopify made creative plays around his smokes, sneaking by defenders and hitting crucial shots to bring the team back into the game. The first half ended with a tied score of 6-6, making it anyone’s game.
After a thrilling battle that went back and forth for 23 rounds, C9 secured a 13-10 victory on their map pick.
The Fracture map became a playground for Shopify’s Chamber player, bdog, who ended the match with an impressive 40 kills to only 20 deaths. Both teams struggled with economy, but bdog showcased his star potential throughout the match.
However, C9’s vanity and Xeppaa made crucial plays to counter bdog’s performance. Their post-plant clutch potential was instrumental in C9’s success. Vanity, known as one of the best in-game leaders in North America, proved his worth as the backbone of the team. After several rounds of overtime, C9 emerged victorious with a 17-15 scoreline. They showed excellent balance and team coordination to overcome bdog’s onslaught.
The key takeaway from this match is that every team in North America is fiercely fighting for a spot in the last LCQ. While Shopify and Cloud9 may not be at the level of the top teams in the region, they have shown steady improvement and kept up with each other during the match.
In the next round, C9 will face The Guard in the upper bracket, while Shopify will go up against Sentinels in the lower bracket.
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