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VCT 2022 kicked off for the EMEA region earlier this month, pitting 12 of the best teams from the region against each other to declare the 3 participants for the prestigious Stage 1 Masters event.
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In the Bo3 series, Guild Esports enjoyed a victory against the reigning Valorant Champions, Acend. An exceptional comeback from Acend earned them the first map, Split (11-13). However, Guild Esports succeeded in suppressing their opponents on Breeze (13-0) and Fracture (13-4) to claim a remarkable victory.
After earning 2 wins in 2 matches, Guild Esports are currently 1st in Group B of the VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers. Acend stands 3rd in the table with 1 win and 1 loss in 2 matches.
Russ talks about Guild Esports' expectations for VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers
In a conversation with Sportskeeda Esports' Adarsh J Kumar, Guild Esports' Russ elaborates on the team's performance against Acend and their expectations for the remaining matches of the VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers.
Q) Guild Esports were the first team to defeat Acend after their Valorant Champions victory. What do you think about Guild's performance today?
Russ: We played really well and gave it our all. We are really happy with our performance.
Q) How would you rate Acend's performance in this matchup?
Russ: I think they played really well, but we just played better than them. We read a lot about their plays. In the end, it was just a team-diff.
Q) Guild Esports ended their defensive half with a 9-3 lead over Acend. What do you think happened in the attacking phase that led to a comeback victory for Acend?
Russ: They had a heavily defensive Agent composition. Their Raze was quite troublesome for us. We kept running into him a lot, and that just messed us up. We reset ourselves and managed to win the remaining maps.
Q) In Week 3 of the VCT Stage 1 EMEA Challengers, Guild Esports will face SuperMassive Blaze. What are your thoughts on the matchup?
Russ: They are pretty decent and have really good aim, much like the Turkish Valorant teams. However, we have got exceptional aim as well, so it will be quite a challenge for them.
Q) Over the next few weeks in the VCT Stage 1 EMEA Challengers, Guild Esports will be facing top-tier competition like Fnatic and G2 Esports. What do you think about your future opponents?
Russ: We're not too concerned about them. I think Acend was the toughest one in our group. We are happy with how things are going and we will see what happens when we finally play against them.
Q: You joined Guild Esports just over a month ago and are one of the most recent additions to the team. Can you describe your experience with the team so far?
Russ: It has been incredible so far. I just fit into the team quite comfortably. We clicked as soon as we started scrimming together. I've had a great time, and they are like family to me. I spend a lot of time with them. We meet outside of the game as well. It's been a crazy ride.
Q: Guild Esports leads Group B of VCT Stage 1 EMEA Challengers with 2 wins and 0 losses. How confident is the team in winning the remaining matches and making it to the playoffs?
Russ: We are completely certain. Our goal is to make it to the VCT Stage 1 Masters. I don't think anything is going to stop us, so we'll see what happens next.
