FURIA smack Spirit in three maps to claim final trophy before Singapore

What a time to find some form.

In what might well be FalleN's penultimate ever event, he's taken down the new dog, donk, with some old tricks, and claimed a trophy that might well taste as sweet as any other in his career.

Though it's 'only' a BLAST Rivals trophy, it's significant to him because of the timing - and he has KSCERATO to think for allowing him to hold it aloft.

As ever, KSCERATO was the best player in the server, and arguably the finest FalleN has ever played for. That might be controversial, but we'd stand by it. KSCERATO - today, and every day - was phenomenal.

donk did what he could on Ancient with 27 kills, in what is a very familiar story for Spirit. donk dragging his team to at least a final round, but being let down by his teammates. Of the six T rounds Spirit won, donk was only not responsible almost directly for one of them. He was the best of a middling bunch on the defence, but Spirit gave up four straight to close the map having been up 11-9.

While KSCERATO had a fantastic map, it was yuurih and YEKINDAR who closed the deal, with YEKINDAR in particular having probably his three best rounds of the map in the final three rounds.

Dust 2 was a much more simple affair, as FURIA ran out clear winners thanks to molodoy's ballerina-like elegance and elite-tier mechanics, gliding across the sand and ripping Spirit to shreds. He closed out the first half with an extraordinary 4k to turn a 3v5 into a won round, as well as dovetailing with KSCERATO to close out some late round situations. He was just a constant problem for Spirit, who couldn't get to grips with him.

KSCERATO, in the meantime, opened and closed the map with a 1v2. Spirit broke back after the first pistol to go 4-1 up, before winning just one more round in the half and none in the second. A total capitulation.

molodoy might have taken some of KSCERATO's shine on Dust 2, but the Brazilian was back on top on Mirage. He just simply does not make mistakes. It's incredible. His positional sense, his awareness, his timing is just flawless, and it was on full display here.

What was most surprising on this map about his showing was how many openers he found - he's often the late round insurance, but in this he was finding picks. His double to open round 16 - in the middle of another six-round streak to start the half for FURIA - was the pick of the picks.

It was a totally dominant performance from FURIA, and another worrying one from Spirit. tN1R, for all the glimpses he has shown this year, was totally absent in this final. zont1x offered very little, and sh1ro was unimpactful, unimportant and uninteresting.

If this is the FURIA we get to see in Singapore, we're very excited.

If this is the Spirit we get to see... less so.