Liquid Annihilated! SAW’s 26-3 Demolition Rocks Bucharest

Look Sports Media – Team Liquid’s journey at the PGL Masters Bucharest has come to a shocking end after a brutal 2-1 defeat against SAW. The North American squad, ranked 11th globally by Valve, initially seemed in control, securing a comfortable 13-4 victory on Ancient. However, SAW, currently ranked 19th, responded with a vengeance, dominating the subsequent two maps with a combined score of 26-3 to secure their place in the semi-finals.

The Portuguese team displayed incredible resilience, bouncing back with a decisive 13-2 win on Train, followed by a dominant 13-1 performance on Inferno, leaving Liquid stunned and eliminated. This tournament has already seen several upsets, including 3DMAX’s elimination at the hands of a weakened Astralis.

Liquid’s struggles with their map pool proved costly. SAW strategically banned Mirage, a map favored by Liquid, and then selected Train, a map that has consistently presented challenges for the North American team. While Liquid’s performance was undeniably disappointing, it shouldn’t overshadow SAW’s exceptional gameplay and strong individual performances.

Despite the initial setback, SAW showcased exceptional trading and offensive prowess, leaving Liquid with no answers. João "story" Vieira’s outstanding performance on Inferno further solidified SAW’s dominance, limiting Liquid to a single round.

This victory sets up an exciting semi-final clash where SAW will face Legacy, who emerged victorious in a hard-fought, all-Brazilian quarter-final against paiN Gaming with a 2-1 score. Legacy overcame losing 11 consecutive rounds and a 0-5 start to Nuke, demonstrating their resilience.

SAW’s impressive run in Bucharest marks a strong recovery from their disappointment of missing out on the Starladder Budapest Major. After failing to secure a Major spot due to their elimination from the Fragadelphia Blocktober quarter-finals, the team has bounced back with renewed vigor. Fnatic ultimately won Fragadelphia Blocktober and the major spot.

SAW’s performance at PGL Masters Bucharest, including victories over Major-qualified teams like Aurora, GamerLegion, and now Team Liquid, suggests they are ending the year on a high note and could be a formidable team to watch in 2026.