The second bout on today’s ticket, which featured Rise Nation and SoaR, went all the way to three maps after SoaR won Mirage in overtime and Rise Nation took Inferno. On Train, it was SoaR that closed it out, 16-12, for a spot in the 7th season of ESL Pro League.

The match started going the way of Rise Nation, who started on the Terrorist side of Mirage and were able to win an after-plant situation on A. After winning both anti-ecos, Rise Nation were then able to further increase their lead to 5-0 after winning a fast push on B and the following anti-eco. SoaR finally got on the board after retaking another fast B push.

With an 8-2 lead, Rise Nation were able to plant on a 3vs3 on A, and despite Ryan "⁠Snakes⁠" Amann getting the last two frags, he was out of time to defuse, giving Rise Nation an even larger lead. Finally, SoaR were able to take the last few rounds of the half for a 10-5 at the switch.

After a play on A, SoaR won the second pistol round, and then shortened the lead to 8-10 after winning both anti-ecos. Rise Nation gave up the lead, as SoaR tied it 10-10, and after losing one, reset Rise Nation, tying it back up 11-11. With Rise Nation on the back foot, SoaR played a fast B play and planted, but a three-man spraydown by Snakes, who the round out with the ace, gave his team the lead for the first time in the match.

Snakes had a good showing on Mirage

With the momentum on their side, SoaR took the lead and went all the way to map point before Rise Nation reacted, although the latter were able to bring it back all the way to the last round of regulation time with SoaR going into it unable to make a full buy. Finally, Rise Nation were able to take it to overtime as Will "⁠dazzLe⁠" Loafman got a quad and defused in the thirtieth.

With a 17-16 lead after the first half of overtime and on the CT side, SoaR’s Michael "⁠Grim⁠" Wince got a crucial double late in the round to take the 18-16 lead, which SoaR were then able to galvanize by winning the last round of the map, 19-16, and taking the lead into Inferno.

The second map started out the same way as the first, with Rise Nation taking the T-side pistol round, and won the following two, but were stopped in the fourth by a "⁠⁠" forcebuy as Grim got a double with the CZ in apartments to give his team the lead in the round. SoaR then quickly took hold of the half, and won four in a row before Rise Nation could retaliate.

The half quickly became a brawl, but it was that eventually came out on top as Andy "⁠vSa⁠" Xu & co. took a slight lead going into the half, 9-6, and were able to further increase their lead taking the second pistol round of the map, but were able to win a forcebuy as Matthew "⁠mCe⁠" Elmore and Logan "⁠Voltage⁠" Long won a 2v5. Rise Nation answered with a forcebuy of their own, though, and took economic advantage and enough momentum to close it out 16-7 and take it to a third map.

Ace & co. dominated on Inferno

The third time around it was SoaR that took the pistol round with a play on the A site of Train, where they were able to plant. The teams then traded rounds, including a four-kill and defuse round by Kaleb "⁠moose⁠" Jayne to tie it 2-2.

After the initial chaos, it was Rise Nation that quickly ran away with the CT-side, however, and locked down a 10-5 half as SoaR was unable to penetrate their rivals’ defenses. Rise Nation then won the Terrorist pistol, but Jack "⁠xCeeD⁠" Holiman and Snakes won a 2vs1 and defused the bomb to stay in the game.

With against the ropes financially, were able to bring it back to 8-11, and after winning the first gun round, Snakes & co. were able to take the lead, 12-11, going into the last stretch of the match. Despite losing the following round, and giving up the lead, followed it up, regaining the lead, 13-12, and then won again forcing Rise Nation to go on a full eco. Up 15-12, SoaR were able to close it out, 16-12, for a spot in the next season of ESL Pro League.

ESEA MDL Season 26 North America Finals Best of 3 Rise Nation Matchpage 1 2 SoaR 16 Mirage 19 16 Inferno 7 12 Train 16