Following their convincing victory against Dhala, Liquid faced a more challenging opponent in Metizport at the Esports World Cup Open Qualifier. The North American squad proved their strength once again, advancing to the playoffs without needing to play the Group 12 decider match.
The series opened on Cache, Liquid's map selection. The Americans established early control with a 7-2 advantage on the terrorist side. Metizport fought back, reducing the deficit to 7-5 by halftime. The European squad briefly took an 8-7 lead as they switched to offense, but Liquid regained dominance and closed out the map 13-9, allowing only one additional round.
Inferno served as the second battleground, chosen by Metizport. Liquid appeared unstoppable, racing to a commanding 9-3 halftime lead. They extended their advantage to 12-3, putting their opponents on match point. Metizport mounted an impressive comeback, stringing together seven consecutive rounds on the T-side, but ultimately fell short as Liquid claimed victory on their opponent's pick.
Jonathan 'EliGE' Jablownowski stood out as the series MVP, recording 42 eliminations and achieving an exceptional 1.42 rating throughout both maps.
Liquid will compete next in the Round of 32 stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 Open Qualifier tomorrow.
