FaZe entered Roman Imperium Cup IX as the top seed, facing Sangal in the upper bracket quarterfinals. Sangal had advanced through a play-in match following the group stage, setting up an intense best-of-three encounter.
The series opened on Dust2, FaZe's map selection. After falling behind 0-3, Sangal recovered impressively to claim a 7-5 advantage following their CT-side performance. The momentum swung back and forth throughout the second half, with neither squad able to close it out in regulation time. Sangal ultimately captured the map 16-13 in overtime, stealing FaZe's pick and taking a 1-0 series lead.
Facing a potential upset, FaZe responded emphatically on Sangal's pick of Nuke. The favorites established an 8-4 first-half lead on the defensive side. Under Russell "Twistzz" Van Dulken's in-game leadership, FaZe maintained control on the T-side, keeping Sangal at bay to secure a 13-7 victory and level the series at 1-1.
Cache served as the deciding battleground, with FaZe again building an 8-4 cushion after the CT half. Sangal fought back valiantly, knotting the score at 8-8. Twistzz then delivered a pivotal four-kill round with a Tec-9 force-buy to restore FaZe's momentum. Leading 11-8, Jakub "jcobbb" Pietruszewski sealed the deal with an ace that included a 1v2 clutch, effectively ending Sangal's upset bid.
FaZe advances to face PURE in tomorrow's upper bracket semifinals at Roman Imperium Cup IX.
