Day 2 of the Mid-Season Face Off is set to kick off with a high-voltage match between two of the most fan-favorite North American teams. Bear with us as we delve deep into The Guard vs FaZe Clan
Following a rather dull opening day of the playoffs bracket, we are moving on to the most anticipated match-up in the upper quarterfinals – The Guard vs FaZe Clan. The previous encounters between the teams did not go very well for FaZe. They faced each other twice last season, and The Guard came out on top both times. Yet, this is a new season, and both teams underwent significant changes. It will be interesting to watch how the match plays out.
The Guard
The Guard were undoubtedly among the top 3 teams for NA in the 2022 VCT season. Now, they are determined to prove their last season’s success was no fluke. So far, they are doing an amazing job at that, as they went 4-1 in the Split 1 league stage to qualify for the Mid-season Face Off. Last season, the team impressed everyone with their insane mechanics and excellent team chemistry despite being the youngest roster on the scene. Ian “tex” Botsch, who replaced Sayaplayer as the primary duelist, made sure with his performance so far that the team is not lacking in firepower from the roster change. If The Guard manage to keep up their form of the group stage, FaZe better bring their A-game to avoid a clean sweep.
Players
Jacob “valyn” Batio
- Role: IGL, Controller
- VLR Rating: 1.18
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 222.3
- Kill-Death Ratio: 1.18
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 78%
- Average Damage per Round: 139.4
Jonah “JonahP” Pulice
- Role: Initiator
- VLR Rating: 1.13
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 212.8
- Kill-Death Ratio: 1.14
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 78%
- Average Damage per Round: 135
Trent “trent” Cairns
- Role: Flex
- VLR Rating: 1.24
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 235.6
- Kill-Death Ratio: 1.33
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 77%
- Average Damage per Round: 158.3
Michael “neT” Bernet
- Role: Sentinel
- VLR Rating: 1.09
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 202.8
- Kill-Death Ratio: 1.22
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 77%
- Average Damage per Round: 136.1
Ian “tex” Botsch
- Role: Duelist
- VLR Rating: 1.13
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 223.5
- Kill-Death Ratio: 1.29
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 76%
- Average Damage per Round: 147.3
Player to Watch
trent is already considered one of the most promising talents in the world. Despite his young age, the level of maturity and game sense the young American shows is truly impressive. After consistent performance throughout the group stage, he is the one to watch on The Guard for this matchup.
FaZe Clan
FaZe Clan’s start of the season can be called mediocre at best. The fans were doubtful of the performance of this immensely popular team from the start after the late roster announcement. The doubts looked well-placed as FaZe barely made it out of the group stage, finishing fourth with a 2-3 record. However, there is no denying the team’s potential. Should dicey and Babybay pop off, and the others play their roles properly, they can certainly beat the Guard.
Players
Quan ‘dicey’ Tran
- Role: Sentinel
- VLR Rating: 0.91
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 173.2
- Kill-Death Ratio: 0.88
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 73%
- Average Damage per Round: 114.9
Phat ‘supamen’ Le
- Role: Controller
- VLR Rating: 0.99
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 191.7
- Kill-Death Ratio: 0.96
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 74%
- Average Damage per Round: 119.1
Daniel ‘Rossy’ Abedrabbo
- Role: Initiator
- VLR Rating: 0.99
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 191.4
- Kill-Death Ratio: 0.97
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 77%
- Average Damage per Round: 128.7
Andrej ‘babybay’ Francisty
- Role: Duelist
- VLR Rating: 1.06
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 221.8
- Kill-Death Ratio: 1.15
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 69%
- Average Damage per Round: 142.8
Kevin ‘poised’ Ngo
- Role: Flex
- VLR Rating: 1.13
- Average Combat Score (ACS): 237.5
- Kill-Death Ratio: 1.18
- Kill/Assist/Trade/Survive: 79%
- Average Damage per Round: 153.5
Players to Watch
While the rest of the team fails to perform consistently, poised is practically carrying the team, as evident from the stats. It seems the flex of FaZe Clan will deliver yet another masterclass in today’s matchup.
The Guard vs FaZe Clan Predictions
Considering each team’s recent form, it is likely that The Guard will clean sweep the series with a 2-0.
Maps
After analyzing the map picks of both teams in the Split 1 event, we are predicting Ascent for The Guard and Fracture for FaZe Clan. Either Pearl or Lotus will be the decider map.
Score
Map 1: The Guard to win with FaZe Clan < 8
Map 2: The Guard to win with FaZe Clan > 11
Series MVP
Recent performances and stats indicate that someone from The Guard will become the MVP of the series, possibly trent or tex. But we have a hunch that Babybay is about to go berserk today.
The Guard vs FaZe Clan Match Link
The Guard vs FaZe Clan will be live-streamed on YouTube and Twitch. The coverage will start at 16:00 ET/ 21:00 CET/ 13:00 PT.
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