MUTiRiS leads Portugal to the semifinals: FaZe vs SAW at IEM Cologne 2024

At IEM Cologne 2024, the cathedral of esports comes back to life as the playoffs commence, with SAW squaring off against FaZe Clan. The Portuguese contingent waves its banner high, but FaZe has raised the stakes yet again. The players are brimming with energy, and Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s tactical calls shine like never before. Now, the SAW team must overcome their greatest challenge: defeat FaZe on home turf to etch their names in esports history as legends.

FaZe vs SAW: The story so far at IEM Cologne

At Cologne, FaZe Clan’s journey bore an uncanny resemblance to their path in 2022, including appearances at the Katowice Finals, PGL Major Finals, a 5th-6th place finish in Dallas, and Spring Finals, along with increasing doubts about their performance. Yet, in Cologne, they seemed like an entirely new team. The key distinction is that FaZe Clan didn’t secure victories at Katowice, the Major, or EPL prior to this event.

As a devoted fan, here I am, eagerly anticipating as FaZe Clan prepares for a resemblance of their 2022 playoff encounter in the IEM Cologne against an Iberian team. If fortune favors them, they may find themselves squaring off against NaVi once more in the finals, potentially setting the stage for another thrilling showdown. Will we witness another display of “FaZe magic” this time around?

SAW players certainly hope not. The team has been slowly building up for years at this point, picking up various talents in hopes of making the perfect Portuguese team. And this year, they’ve finally taken their country to the Major. Subsequent events like BLAST have shown us glimpses of their potential. G2 is the biggest scalp they’ve taken so far. Can FaZe be next?

IEM Cologne 2024 rosters: FaZe Clan vs SAW

Here are the rosters for FaZe Clan and SAW at IEM Cologne 2024:

Match veto and recap: IEM Cologne 2024

Inferno: SAW show dominant firepower on Map 1: 13-6

To begin the game, FaZe Clan secured a pistol round victory at B site, thanks to karrigan’s impressive 1v1 clutch performance. However, as the players gained access to their weapons, SAW took command of the situation. Ewjerkz’s remarkable hold on round 4 with his hero rifle ignited the momentum shift, and by half-time, every member of SAW was contributing effectively. The sole bright spot for FaZe was their seasoned entry fragger, rain, who managed to keep them competitive with occasional standout performances.

Initially, SAW and FaZe displayed similar strategies on T-side, with SAW successfully securing the pistol round. However, FaZe managed to rack up six points, revealing early signs of vulnerability from SAW. Nevertheless, BERRY’s team maintained a substantial reserve of firepower and eventually clinched the map victory, 13-6.

Anubis: FaZe make it too close for comfort: 13-11

In the second map, as the more experienced team, Karrigan and his crew regrouped for a comeback. The IEM Cologne championship was still in play, and FaZe showed no signs of giving up. This time around, it was broky and ropz spearheading the attack, giving FaZe an early 4-1 lead on their T-side. SAW held off a few rounds during the middle of the half, but overall, the game leaned heavily in FaZe’s favor. With a strong 8-4 lead at halftime and a successful second pistol round, FaZe found themselves ahead 10-4.

However, it was at this moment that SAW regained momentum. MultiRiS masterfully orchestrated a strong T-side performance, taking the lead individually as well as for his team. Round after round, the Portuguese squad relentlessly attacked Anubis and managed to regain their footing in the game. The score was leveled at 11-11, with SAW holding a 3v2 advantage. It seemed like victory was within their grasp for FaZe. Yet, much like they had on Inferno, SAW demonstrated their inexperience – missing a crucial smoke and becoming flustered in the decisive round. Seizing the opportunity, players karrigan and rain capitalized on their mistake to secure the map point. Frozen sealed the deal with a remarkable 1v2, repeating his performance from round 1.

Nuke: MUTiRiS mow-down galvanizes SAW

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but notice ropz playing superbly and SAW facing a tough defeat. It might seem like they could mentally check out of the series, given the circumstances. However, right from the get-go on Nuke, it was evident that SAW weren’t going down without a fight. The Portuguese side kicked off with an impressive pistol round win before engaging in the economic battle. Despite FaZe having a well-drilled T-side, even their least expected defender managed to score points for SAW.

“All roads lead back to roman!”

In a thrilling turn of events, with Roman leading the pack in CT rounds, our team surged forward, shockingly taking a 7-5 lead as we approached halftime. This time, it was FaZe who clinched the pistol round win, but as they evened the score, MUTiRiS made an astonishing 1v4 play that seemed to energize our entire team. They then plowed through their defense, relentlessly pushing towards a decisive 11-round victory. Although Roman’s swift vent drop was thwarted, SAW remained resolute in our game plan. A B plant and an exceptional vent defense by arrozdoce effectively halted FaZe, securing us the precious semifinals point.

Stepping up a notch, it seemed like SAW was slipping up slightly, allowing FaZe to snatch rounds from their grasp. Karrigan’s team managed to rack up a double-digit score, forcing their opponents into a corner with just one AK-47 left in round 23. However, four frags by frozen kept the game alive on Nuke, pushing it to the final round. To top it off, ropz stood his ground at ramp, blocking access and taking the match into overtime.

Despite FaZe Clan typically dominating overtime, it was SAW who regained control this time around. Ewjerkz started strong in the first round, and MUTiRiS continued the momentum on his A site assault, giving SAW an early lead. Eventually, a CT round went FaZe’s way, keeping them within striking distance. On their own CT-side, ewjerkz and story were destructive against the B attack, securing another series point swiftly.

In a tense moment during the match, ropz’s smoke concealed his position, but broky discovered a duplicate key to enter the A site. “FaZe won’t make this simple!” was an accurate prediction by Harry Russell. MUTiRiS and arrozdoce each claimed double kills, leaving broky in a challenging 1v3 situation. However, the Latvian sniper couldn’t turn the tables, as SAW secured the series victory! As a result, Portugal advances to the semifinals of IEM Cologne.

How far can SAW go at IEM Cologne 2024?

In the semifinals of IEM Cologne, SAW is set to play against Vitality. Despite being underdogs, they’ve earned their spot in the semis fair and square. This puts SAW, with Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut leading the team, as a significant challenge for Vitality. Just how far can this surprising run continue? We’ll see tomorrow when Vitality squares off against SAW.