Furia: A Dark Horse Established

Furia went into the LA Major having regained their title as the kings of SAM, with back to back regional wins, and were seen as one of the minor regions’ greatest hopes heading into the event. Yet few could have anticipated the heights they reached on day 1, the capacity to perform under pressure, and the overall talent that Furia displayed in LA.

Going right back to beginning, Furia came flying out of the blocks with a 3-1 win over NRG in their opening series. Their offensive pressure was suffocating, even for a defence as good as NRG’s, and yanxnz’s performance in attack in the later games provided a glimpse of the roster’s potential and of what was to come. This was followed by a beautiful series against Endpoint, where Furia were able to keep two clean sheets and cruise to a 3-1 win, locking Seikoo out of the score sheet for the series. They looked calm on defense, their passing plays were sound, and very few errors were made, putting them in the box seat for a top 6 finish.

And even after a horrible performance against Renegades in the 0-3 loss, where their defence was surprisingly loose, Furia responded perfectly under the pressure, highlighting that they have what it takes to rise in the big occasions. They were once again dominant against Furia, this time off the back of CaioTG1’s finishing, and locked in a top 6 placement.

A historical finish for SAM, Furia appeared to be the best minor region team, save perhaps Sandrock, since the season 6 Chiefs. Questions were undoubtedly posed about whether their streak would continue with the booming crowd of over 5000 fans, but the Brazilian super team certainly delivered. They fought hard all series long against eventual champs G2, with king caard shining on offence and yanxnz’s world class anticipation keeping Furia’s goal line secure, before ultimately falling 4-2. And although they crumbled late against Queso, conceding 8 goals to 1 in the final two games to fall 4-3, their performance was incredible impressive. They not only went toe to toe with Queso, but they were playing at a level above. Their passing is world class, the potential for solo plays is frightening for opposition defences, and their play style lacks any form of fear.

Furia may have struggled to close out series’s when it mattered most, but don’t let that take away from just how good they looked in LA. They’ve now clocked up 4 wins over major region teams for the season, a tally they’ll be looking to add to in Spring, and are currently in the mix for becoming the best in the world.