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Only four CS:GO teams remain in contention for the IEM Rio Major after two weeks of enthralling matches. The semi-finals of the tournament, scheduled for November 12, 2022, will further narrow it down to the two teams that will battle it out in the Grand Final for a winner's cheque of $500,000.
The second match of CS:GO's IEM Rio Major 2022 semi-finals will feature the Danish contender, Heroic, taking on Brazil's very own, FURIA Esports, in a best-of-three encounter. The winner of this matchup will proceed to meet the winner of Outsiders vs MOUZ in the Grand Final, scheduled for November 13, 2022.
Heroic vs FURIA: Who will win this CS:GO IEM Rio Major Semi-finals matchup?
Predictions
Heroic has a strong core roster with a core that has been playing together for over two years. Their in-game leader (IGL), cadiaN, is a tactical genius who is also mechanically skilled in various in-game roles. Heroic also has a fair deal of young talent, with players like stavn, TeSeS, and their most recent signing, Jabbi, stepping up for the team whenever needed.
Similar to Heroic, FURIA also has a rigid core roster with players who have been together for over four years. Under the leadership of arT, their most experienced player, FURIA has proven to be capable of turning around the most unfavorable conditions into victories.
FURIA's journey to the semi-finals of the Champions Stage includes a 7-match win-streak, with their most recent victory coming against Natus Vincere. Players like drop and KSCERATO have displayed their fragging capabilities against tier-1 opponents from all over the world, and are confident in taking on Heroic in this best-of-three encounter.
Both Heroic and FURIA are strong contenders for the IEM Rio Major 2022, as proven by their performances in all the matches leading up to the semis. Heroic does have a reliable roster that can make it all the way to the finals. However, FURIA has excellent momentum and an enthusiastic Brazilian crowd backing them up, making them the favorites to win this matchup.
Head-to-head
The core CS:GO rosters of Heroic and FURIA have played against each other on three different occasions over the last few years. Heroic has won 2 out of those 3 matches, winning a total of 5 maps against the Brazilians. FURIA has won only a single series against Heroic, winning just 2 maps against them out of the 7 maps they've played.
Recent results
Heroic entered the IEM Rio Major with a Legends status and were placed directly in the Legends Stage. They enjoyed a near-flawless run in the Legends Stage, finishing the stage with a 3-1 record. They defeated teams like Outsiders, Fnatic, and Team Liquid, while losing only to Cloud9.
FURIA entered the tournament with a Contender status. They finished the Challengers Stage with a 3-1 tally, defeating 00NATION, OG, and GamerLegion. Their only defeat in this stage came against BIG. FURIA enjoyed a flawless 3-0 run in the Legends Stage, defeating ENCE, Team Spirit, and BIG.
Heroic defeated Team Spirit by a 2-0 margin in their quarter-finals matchup to qualify for the semi-finals. FURIA, on the other hand, defeated the former Major winner, NAVI, in a breathtaking 3-map entertainer to qualify for the semis. They currently enjoy a 7-match win-streak at CS:GO's Rio Major.
Potential lineups
Heroic
- Martin "stavn" Lund
- Casper "cadiaN" Møller (IGL)
- René "TeSeS" Madsen
- Rasmus "sjuush" Beck
- Jakob "Jabbi" Nygaard
- Richard "Xizt" Landström (Coach)
FURIA Esports
- Yuri "yuurih" Boian
- Andrei "arT" Piovezan (IGL)
- Kaike "KSCERATO" Cerato
- André "drop" Abreu
- Rafael "saffee" Costa
- Nicholas "guerri" Nogueira (Coach)
When and where to watch
CS:GO fans from all over the world can catch the IEM Rio Major Champions Stage live by tuning into ESL CS:GO's official Twitch channel. Heroic will face FURIA in a best-of-three semi-finals matchup on November 12, 2022, at 1:30 pm PDT / 9:30 pm CEST / November 13, 2022, at 2 am IST.
