NA Winter Event 1 Ends On A Bang

With new rosters, debuntants, and some of the highest quality Rocket League in the world on display, this weekend has been a truly magical start to the NA winter split.

NRG VS Faze

Classed as the two kings of NA heading into the event, this winners final matchup promised to be a treat, and certainly delivered on that promise.

In early days, the two foes traded blows, with Sypical nailing some critical goals to prove himself a worthy addition to the team, as well as clinical finishing from Ayyjayy to nail top right twice in game 3 and secure the win, before Jstn turned up the heat to tie the series 2-2 with some big time game 4 goals.

After an uncharacteristically messy game 5, NRG were pushed back against the wall by their main rivals, yet still displayed no fear, clawing through game 6, before Jstn’s speed helped set up a textbook finish from Squishy to secure the series in 7, sending FaZe to losers and capping off an excellent series.

Version1 VS SSG

This was always going to be a tough ask for V1, and they certainly struggled to rise when needed.

Throughout the series, Retals was relentlessly physical with 18 demos in just 4 matches, almost double V1 combined who only had 11 as a team, which meant that V1 never had any room to breathe.

After dominating games 1 and 2, with all 3 of SSG’s members syncing perfectly to cruise to a 2-0 lead, V1 seemed to be mustering a comeback, with a passing play and Torment dunk opening up a 2-0 match lead.

Yet just when V1 looked settled, Daniel struck twice, blitzing the V1 defense to get the game into overtime, where an incredible air dribble solo play from the star debutant secured himself his first hat trick, putting the series beyond any doubt as they ended the series in 4, sending V1 home in a respectable 4th.

SSG VS FaZe

Firstkiller may have been NA’s young prodigy for a while, but that title now firmly sits with SSG’s Daniel. He sniped his first shot of the series, before physical play set up Arsenal for the second to crush FaZe in game 1.

FaZe came out to play in game 2, but Daniel was there to meet them, notching up a hat trick, including the sealing pinch, and a near perfect came to record a thou and lead SSG to a 2-0 series lead.

The next two games were both incredibly tightly contested, with a Spyical finish, and a Daniel ice cold zero second snipe securing a game a piece to get the series to 3-1.

Although a last minute Firstkiller hat trick in game 5 kept FaZe in the series, they crumbled in game 6, they gave up cheap goals early and couldn't come back from the dead, meaning SSG secured a 4-2 victory, sending them to grands and winning the bad blood matchup against former team mate Sypical, who left SSG to chase better opportunities, yet found himself on the wrong end of Daniel's sword.

NRG VS SSG

This kid is just absurd! A perfect read from Daniel opened his grand finals goal tally within his first minute of play, and even after Jstn's finishing help NRG get back on top 2-1, a perfect set up from Retals and then Arsenal positioned Daniel to pull Jstn's own trick on him from back in season 5, nailing a zero second goal that was almost a mirror image of that famous play.

Although Jstn's speed secured game 1 for NRG, Daniel decided one zero second clutch wasn't enough, scoring a second straight zero second finish in game 2 to tie the score, and this time, he was able to nail a top class finish to get the series to 1-1. Unfortunately, a mis-rotate from Arsenal produced a game 3 own goal, and Jstn rose to the occasion when it counted again, nailing a double tap to secure a game 4 overtime win and a 3-1 series lead.

Even if they couldn't come away with it, SSG showed why their game can be so scary, with a double demo setting Daniel up for an easy finish to clinch game 5, but NRG were just too fast in game 6, cleaning SSG up 3-0, with a symbolic zero second goal from Jstn proving that even if Daniel has a bright future ahead of him, Jstn, along with world class team mates Garret and Squishy, are still the kings of NA.