Sentinels survive scare against FURIA to move ahead in Group B of VCT Champions

It was a close call for the NA contenders.

Photo via Riot Games

The opening match of Group B at VCT Champions today went the distance, but Sentinels emerged on top after a grueling three-map series against a dangerous FURIA team out of Brazil.

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For the second straight VALORANT series of the day, the assumed favorite got off to a shaky start. FURIA came out firing on their attacking side of Ascent, jumping out to a 5-0 lead. But Sentinels were able to rally after some typical but still amazing plays on Jett coming from TenZ. The first half ended with the two teams tied at 6-6.

Sentinels continued to build momentum going into their attack with the same blend of smart utility and crisp shooting associated with their rise to prominence. Any time FURIA won a round, Sentinels won another and kept the Brazilian momentum cold. After a shaky start to the map, Sentinels ended up taking care of business 13-9 on Ascent, winning seven of the last eight rounds.

After losing their map pick to Sentinels, FURIA needed to come out hot on Breeze and did so with an anti-eco round win after losing the pistol. For the second straight map, they took an early 5-1 lead. But again, just like on Ascent, Sentinels ramped up their defense in time to stop FURIA from building too massive a lead. FURIA still took an 8-4 lead into halftime.

FURIA improved their lead by taking the pistol with a solid A site hold. And despite some more playmaking coming from TenZ, they grew that lead up to 12-7. Sentinels made things interesting with three straight round wins but were slowed down during a crucial A site push long enough for FURIA to rotate, get the frags, and close out Breeze 13-10.

In the final map of this series, Sentinels took control early on Haven after winning the pistol and trading anti-eco rounds. They retained control for virtually the entire first half, taking a commanding 9-3 lead into halftime.

After switching sides, Sentinels put all the pressure on FURIA by increasing their lead up to 12-4 with some unstoppable offensive pushes. FURIA put up a fight with their backs against the wall through some stellar defensive holds and retakes, including a seemingly impossible defuse with a second left. But after a lengthy tech pause, TenZ pushed Sentinels over the finish line, claiming Haven 13-9 and the series 2-1.


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Author
Image of Scott Robertson
Scott Robertson
VALORANT lead staff writer, also covering CS:GO, FPS games, other titles, and the wider esports industry. Watching and writing esports since 2014. Previously wrote for Dexerto, Upcomer, Splyce, and somehow MySpace. Jack of all games, master of none.