FaZe send Liquid packing from IEM Dallas

FaZe bested the Liquid in a two-map series to hasten Nick "⁠nitr0⁠" Cannella's departure from the starting roster.

FaZe have ousted Liquid from IEM Dallas after defeating the North American roster 2-0, striking first on Anubis (16-11) before wrapping the series up on Nuke (16-10).

FaZe now advance to the Group B lower bracket final in the $250,000 tournament. The Finn "⁠karrigan⁠" Andersen-led squad will hop back in the server in a few hours' time, where they will play the winner of the series between Cloud9 and Complexity for a chance to make the IEM Dallas playoffs.

Date	Matches
IEM Dallas 2023
01/06/2023	FaZe 01:00 Cloud9	Match

On the flip side of things, the loss also marks the end of nitr0's second time in a Liquid jersey. Captain America, as the 27-year-old was often called, announced his intention to step down from the active roster after IEM Dallas on May 27, citing a busy travel schedule and the recent birth of his second child as the primary reasons for his decision.

Read more

nitr0 to step down from Liquid after IEM Dallas, future unclear

Anubis, Liquid's pick, was the battleground of choice to begin the must-win series, but it was FaZe who enjoyed a better start. The European ensemble quickly designated the A bombsite as their preferred target of choice, repeatedly hounding that portion of the map — alongside relying on a handful of clutches and Liquid fumbles — to build a comfortable 9-6 lead by the end of their T-side effort.

Liquid were able to fend off a complete blowout on their map choice with five rounds on the attack, but were otherwise unable to compete with standout performances from FaZe's deadly trio. Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken, Helvijs "⁠broky⁠" Saukants, and Robin "⁠ropz⁠" Kool all combined for 80 kills by the map's end, clearing the way for FaZe to lead 1-0 in the series with a 16-11 scoreline on the Egyptian map.

FaZe kept their foot on the gas once their Nuke pick rolled around; the karrigan-led lineup overturned Liquid's initial 2-0 start with back-to-back three-round streaks to nurture a 6-3 lead midway through the half. FaZe's dominance in the server only persisted as the half trudged on, a key double-kill hold of the A bombsite by Mareks "⁠YEKINDAR⁠" Gaļinskis in round 14 being the main reason why FaZe had to settle for another 9-6 showing by halftime.

Liquid, who dropped the ball numerous times on the Anubis opener, threw away an opportunity to inch back into contention at the start of the second half, with ropz clutching a near-unwinnable 1vs3 to help his team hop straight back in the driver's seat. From this point on, FaZe's victory never looked in doubt; the international outfit conceded just two rounds for the remainder of the half, sprinting to a 16-10 showing and eliminating Liquid from IEM Dallas in the process.