Team Liquid have advanced to the grand finals of Stake Pulse Beat I, sitting just one match away from capturing their first international title since their memorable IEM Chicago victory back in 2019. Led by in-game leader Ioannis "JT" Theodosiou, the North American squad dismantled Fnatic in a commanding 2-0 semifinal performance.
The opening map on Dust2 told an intriguing story. Despite Fnatic dominating the individual statistics across kills, damage output, assists, rating, AWP effectiveness, and entry fragging, they couldn't convert their numerical advantages into a map win. Trailing 5-9, Liquid found their spark through a crucial clutch play from Keith "NAF" Markovic, which ignited an impressive six-round attacking surge. The momentum shift proved decisive as Liquid claimed Dust2 13-10, with JT leading his team with an outstanding 1.32 rating.
Liquid's momentum carried into Anubis, their map selection. Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa delivered a vital 1v2 clutch to secure the seventh round of the first half. The second half began with another clutch performance, this time NAF and JT combining for a 2v4 pistol round victory. From that point forward, Liquid faced no resistance, cruising to a comprehensive 13-5 map win to seal the series.
The championship match awaits, where Liquid will face Betclic, their opponent from the group stage.
