Spirit eliminated from IEM Dallas
Vitality secured their spot in the Grand Finals of IEM Dallas 2024 with a commanding 2-0 victory over Spirit, marking their second consecutive appearance in a grand final.
The highly anticipated clash between Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut and Danil "donk" Kryshkovets saw the French prodigy shining brightly, delivering an inspired performance that propelled his team to victory.
After falling short in the ESL Pro League Season 19 finals against MOUZ in a 0-3 defeat, Vitality enters the Grand Final stage with renewed determination and confidence, eager to seize their first trophy of the year.
In contrast, "donk" appeared frustrated and struggled to leave a mark throughout the series. Culminating in a disappointing 67.4% KAST and -8 K/D – his lowest impact in almost eight months.
ZywOo bests donk
Vitality kicked off with a standard Mid to B plan, only to meet Spirit's triple setup, signaling a strong CT start. Despite their efforts, Spirit's best duo secured an early 3-0 lead.
Dan "apEX" Madesclaire’s squad bounced back in round 4 with full buys, exploiting a rare mistake from Dmitriy "sh1ro" Sokolov to notch their first round. The game saw both teams trading blows, with Spirit keeping their head up to maintain their advantage.
Spirit attempted to shift momentum with timeouts, but Vitality, led by Shahar "flameZ" Shushan, managed to secure a 7-5 lead at halftime. Despite chopper's flawless defense in the second pistol round, the bees’ trio ensured they stayed in control.
With Spirit struggling to find footing, Vitality dominated, securing a convincing 13-6 victory. apEX's pivotal double smoke kills sealed the deal, capping off a commanding performance.
Better, but not enough
Mirage saw a better showing from Spirit, especially “donk”. However, it wasn’t enough.
On the back of a force buy after losing the pistol, Vitality went ham to secure a 5-1 lead. Yet, with a heroic effort from “sh1ro”, Spirit replied with five rounds of their own. Closing the half at 6-6.
The second half carried the same scenario as the first, with each team securing multiple rounds. Ultimately, the score was tied at 11-11. King “mezii” stood tall against chopper's incendiaries, locking in match point for Vitality with his 27th kill of the game.
Finally, Vitality will meet the winner between G2 Esports and 9z Team in the Grand Finals to close out the North American chapter in Dallas.
Featured Image source: ESL
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