'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
North America's VCT Last Chance Qualifier is almost at its end, with two nail-biting matches scheduled for August 12. The first match will see The Guard going up against FaZe Clan in the Upper Bracket Final of VCT NA LCQ 2022.
The tournament started with the top eight teams from the region and is now down to four teams trying to make it to the Valorant Champions.
Trending
The Guard will face FaZe Clan in a best-of-three matchup. The winners of the Upper Bracket Finals will move on to the Grand Finals, whereas the loser will compete in the Lower Bracket Finals. The team that goes on to win in the Grand Finals will be moving on to the Valorant Champions 2022 tournament.
OpTic Gaming and XSET have already booked their slots at the Valorant Champions 2022 tournament, owing to the regional circuit points they have amassed. Only one slot remains for the North American region, and the LCQs is the only way ahead for the remaining four teams.
The Guard vs FaZe Clan - Diving into the VCT LCQ 2022 Upper Bracket Finals match
The Guard and FaZe Clan are on the list of North America's most popular Valorant esports organizations. Both have faced tough teams getting to the Upper Bracket Finals in the VCT NA LCQs. However, only one of them will be advancing to the Grand Finals of this tournament.
The team that qualifies will face the winner of Lower Round 3 in the Grand Finals on August 14. The Guard and FaZe Clan don't need any introductions in the field of NA esports, owing to their past successes.
Both teams feature competent rosters but couldn't grab a direct slot for Valorant Champions 2022. This is their final chance to claim a place at the Champions 2022.
Predictions
While The Guard is an up-and-coming team, Faze Clan's roster has earned many notable achievements in the past. It is hard to predict which team will win on their day. The Guard can outperform even the best Valorant teams. However, FaZe Clan might have an edge due to its vast experience in the competitive circuit.
Head-to-head
The Guard and FaZe Clan have only faced each other once before this match in this year's Qualifiers of the NA VCT Stage 1 Challengers. The Guard managed to beat FaZe Clan with a score of 2:1. The Guard will be hoping to continue the run while FaZe Clan will be looking to balance the scoreboard.
Recent results
Both the teams seem to be putting their best to win the VCT NA LCQ 2022. The Guard has won three of their past five matches, while FaZe has won four out of their five. FaZe Clan is currently in slightly better form, although it remains to be seen how that favors them in the Upper Bracket Finals.
Potential lineups
The Guard
- Michael "neT" Bernet
- Jacob "valyn" Batio (IGL)
- Jonah "JonahP" Pulice
- Ha "Sayaplayer" Jung-woo
- Trent "trent" Cairns
- Matthew "mCe" Elmore (Coach)
FaZe Clan
- Andrej "babybay" Francisty (IGL)
- Xavier "flyuh" Carlson
- Quan "dicey" Tran
- Phat "supamen" Le
- Kevin "poised" Ngo
- Josh "jdm" Marzano (Coach)
Where to watch
Fans can watch the match live on the official Valorant esports YouTube and Twitch handles. The matches will be livestreamed, and fans can join official watch parties that popular streamers host.
The Guard will take on FaZe Clan in the Upper Bracket Finals on Friday, August 12 - 1:00 pm PDT/10:00 pm CEST/1:30 am IST (next day).
