The North American prove they're the best.
Team Liquid outplayed Vitality 3-1 to win ESL One Cologne 2019, as well as the Intel Grand Slam and its $1 million prize.
This was Team Liquid’s fourth premier tournament victory in a row, which not only netted them the Intel Grand Slam itself, but also proved that they truly are the best team in the world right now.
The best-of-five grand finals kicked off on Overpass, and it was Team Liquid who drew first blood 16-6 against a French side who never looked comfortable.
#LetsGoLiquid #ESLOne @TeamLiquid pic.twitter.com/4VmJNRxW3x
ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) July 7, 2019
Dust II was a much closer affair as Vitality finally found their form, and it was the French team who held their nerve and took the map 19-17 in a tense overtime clash.
Vitality couldn’t hold onto their momentum moving into Inferno, though. Team Liquid raced to an early lead on the CT side and never let go, eventually closing out the map – and the match – with a decisive 16-8 victory.
With the StarLadder Berlin Major on the horizon, Team Liquid are certainly looking like the clear favourites to take home the prestigious title.
Despite their loss, Vitality should be happy with their performance. With a couple of months to iron out a few kinks, they could easily be in with a shot at the upcoming Major.
