THE STRONG stays alive in the playoffs CDV Americas. Playing in front of Brazilian fans in São Paulo, the team won the G2 2-0 this Friday (4) and eliminated the opponent from the competition. In the other confrontation of the day, the 100 Thieves also made it 2-0 against NRG and advanced to the decision, in addition to confirming his ranking for the Shanghai Champions.
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With the results, LOUD and NRG will face off again this Saturday (5), at 2 p.m., in a best-of-five series. For the Brazilians, this match represents a new stage in a campaign marked by recovery throughout the season.
LOUD eliminates G2 in front of Brazilian fans
The victory over G2 was built on two maps and one of the main points was LOUD’s effectiveness in the decisive moments. During the post-match press conference, G2 themselves acknowledged problems mainly with retakes and post-plants, situations which the Brazilians managed to exploit during the series.
For LOUD, the result also took on weight due to the home game context. Luke highlighted the evolution of a team that has undergone changes and is now beginning to turn the work done over the last few months into results.
“We reap what we sow,” Luke said.
The player also said that he did not imagine having the opportunity to compete in such an important stage in front of the São Paulo fans. Romanili followed a similar line in speaking of his journey from Ascension to the present campaign.
“It’s a dream to be able to represent the biggest team in Brazil,” Romanili said.
The supporters were in fact one of the main subjects of the press conferences. Players from different teams highlighted the volume of the Brazilian crowd, while members of LOUD spoke about the emotional work done to cope with the pressure. Luke even said that the support of psychologist Bagé was essential during the playoffs.
100 Thieves defeat NRG and secure a place in Champions
In the other series of the day, the 100 Thieves defeated NRG 2-0. For the winning team, the result also confirmed the ranking of the Shanghai Champions.
After the match, Asuna recalled the team’s previous participation in the Shanghai Masters and emphasized that returning to the city represents an opportunity to achieve a better result.
“I feel like we left a lot on the table last time,” Asuna said when commenting on her return to Shanghai.
The rating also has personal meaning for the player. Asuna and Bang have been friends for around six years, and the player described winning the international stage as “settling with a childhood friend”.
Timotinho highlighted the team’s evolution throughout 2026. 100 Thieves has been close to the leaderboards at various points throughout the season, earning a spot and the title in EWC and now reaching the Americas Grand Final with a guaranteed presence at the Champions.
On the NRG side, coach Bonkar recognized the superiority of the opponent. He said 100 Thieves managed to play faster and more collectively, while his team ended up relying excessively on individual plays.
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LOUD and NRG compete for survival
NRG will have little time to react. This Saturday, at 2 p.m.the team faces LOUD in a series best of five through qualifiers.
The preparation of the Brazilians will also be short. During the press conference, Romanili explained that there was no room for major tactical changes from one match to the next and that the main thing would be to recover the players and have confidence in the work done so far.
“It’s going to be a game based largely on what you already know,” he summarized.
For LOUD, the home stretch also represents the consolidation of a squad that had to rebuild itself during the year. Erde admits he faced challenges early in his career as an IGL, but believes he is growing into the role. TKzinho, in turn, highlighted his confidence in his own style of play and the support he received from his teammates.
Now, LOUD and NRG face off to continue the race for the VCT Americas title, while 100 Thieves are already waiting for the next phase with an important victory guaranteed: the trip to Champions Shanghai.
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Rachele Victoria
Rachele Victoria has a degree in Letters, an MBA in Innovation and has worked in the field of communication and gamer content for 10 years.
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