VALORANT VCT Champions: KRÜ Esports Keeps Tournament Hopes Alive with Win Over XERXIA
The VALORANT VCT Champions tournament continued with elimination matches for groups C and D, as teams fought for their chance to end their 2022 season on a high note.
Yesterday, two teams from Asia were eliminated, putting pressure on XERXIA Esports from Thailand to represent their region. Their opponent for today’s match, KRÜ Esports from Latin America, was also at risk of being knocked out in the group stage after their impressive run at Champions last year.
XERXIA and KRÜ entered the Group C lower bracket after losing to XSET and FunPlus Phoenix, respectively. These opening matches were disappointing 2-0 losses for both teams.
In their first head-to-head match, KRÜ emerged victorious, winning 2-1 to keep their tournament hopes alive.
The match started on Icebox, where XERXIA opted for a more standard lineup. KRÜ gained an early advantage with four consecutive rounds by purchasing Vandals in the second round. KRÜ executed their post-plant strategies flawlessly, while XERXIA made noticeable mistakes. KRÜ secured a comfortable 13-4 win on Icebox.
On XERXIA’s map pick of Haven, they dominated from the start, winning six consecutive rounds. Although KRÜ tried to make a comeback in the first half, XERXIA’s second pistol round victory sealed the map in their favor. XERXIA won Haven 13-7.
Ascent started as an even game, but KRÜ took control in the second half, dismantling XERXIA’s defense. XERXIA couldn’t keep up, resulting in a one-sided 13-6 victory for KRÜ on Ascent. KRÜ won the match 2-1.
Despite the dominance of each team on different maps, the match remained closely contested. While KRÜ showcased better form than in their previous game against FunPlus Phoenix, they still don’t appear as formidable as they have in previous tournaments.
With the cancellation of the match between FunPlus Phoenix and XSET due to player health issues, KRÜ awaits their next opponent, which will be revealed later today. They will participate in another elimination match on September 8.
VALORANT VCT Champions, KRÜ Esports, XERXIA Esports, elimination match, Group C, Group D, Icebox, Haven, Ascent, tournament, region, head-to-head