The Guard vs Cloud9: VCT NA LCQ - Predictions, head-to-head, livestream details and more

The Guard will take on Cloud9 in the first match of Day 3 at the VCT North America: Last Chance Qualifiers. Eight of the region's best teams will compete against each other for a last-minute ticket to Valorant Champions: Istanbul.

Day 3 of the VCT North America: Last Chance Qualifiers will begin with The Guard's best-of-three matchup against Cloud9 in an Upper Semifinals fixture. The winner will progress to the Upper Bracket Finals, while the loser will be pushed to the lower rounds.

OpTic Gaming and XSET have already booked a berth at the year-end Champions 2022 tournament on the basis of their circuit points. The eight teams competing in the VCT NA LCQ will get a fair chance to win a wildcard entry to the Champions Stage, which is the biggest Valorant esports event of the year.

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The Guard vs Cloud9: Who will progress to the Upper Bracket Finals in the VCT NA Last Chance Qualifiers?

The Guard and Cloud9 are undoubtedly two of the most successful Valorant esports organizations from the region.

The Guard are known for their win over OpTic Gaming at the Stage 1 NA Challengers. Meanwhile, Cloud9 have been an integral part of the Tier 1 Valorant esports scene in North America since the game's inception.

Fans of North American Valorant esports can expect a tough matchup when these two organizations go up against each other for a spot in the upcoming Valorant Champions 2022.

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Predictions

The Guard and Cloud9 have been away from Tier 1 action since the Stage 2 NA Challengers ended in June 2022. Both teams are expected to play in the NA LCQ with their previous rosters.

The Guard finally proved themselves to be one of NA's top Valorant teams in Stage 1 of VCT 2022. They didn't fare as well in the Masters: Reykjavik and the S2 NA Challengers, which was disappointing for fans.

The Guard defeated Sentinels in the Upper Quarterfinals and are off to a great start in the NA LCQ.

Cloud9 have had an undefeated run in the MCT Premiership S3. They also defeated Shopify Rebellion comfortably on Day 1 of the NA LCQ.

It wouldn't be fair to say that both teams are equally matched. The Guard clearly have the upper hand and will be looking to dominate Cloud9 in the Upper Bracket Semifinals.

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Head-to-head

The Guard and Cloud9 have faced each other a couple of times before this encounter, with both teams winning one match each.

The Guard pulverized Cloud9 3-0 when they met for the second time in VCT NA S1: Challengers, making them the team to place the bets on.

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Recent results

In terms of recent performance, Cloud9 has a clear advantage over the Guard as they have had an undefeated run for quite a while.

The Guard participated in the NSG Summer Championship 2022, where they claimed a fourth-place finish.

The Guard vs Cloud9 recent results (Image via vlr.gg)

The Guard have won three out of their last five matches. Cloud9, on the other hand, are on a roll, winning all of their last five matches.

Cloud9 have been in much better form recently, but The Guard are the team to look out for in the VCT NA LCQs.

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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)

Cloud9

• Nathan "leaf" Orf
• Anthony "vanity" Malaspina (IGL)
• Rahul "curry" Nemani
• Erick "Xeppaa" Bach
• Mitch "mitch" Semago
• Gael "vexel" Attal (Coach)

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Where to watch

Valorant esports fans can watch the VCT 2022 North America LCQs live on VCT's official YouTube and Twitch handles. They can also tune in to official watch parties hosted by streamers to catch up on the action. The match will start on Saturday, August 6 at 1:00 pm PDT/10:00 pm CEST/1:30 am IST (next day).