Finland vs Sweden
Even though this was only loser bracket final, the game was worth the big finals itself. I had seen both teams practising all day before the match, which promised super skills and very interesting game. Swedes were so kind to play on Finland's homeserver which, to be honest, lagged a bit for both. Anyway noone whined and the game went smoothly. Finland didn't surprise anyone buy picking their best maps dm7 and dm8, while Sweden's choice - dm1 and dm2 - was also very logic, knowing that dm1 is their best map and Finland had lost dm2 to Poland in a huge difference. So the game launched of...
q2dm7 - eDome Clan 4 (194.251.249.72:27940)
This was one of the closest games I have seen on dm7. Both teams shared red armors and rocket launchers and every frag made by one team was followed by frag from another team. The game going to end, Finland managed to get some lead, but swedes came back making the last minute a real thriller. Finland placed themselves at rocket launcher area while swedes tried to get armored enough and attack. Anyway they didn't realise there was to less time left and lost. On the other hand, Finland risked to stay at rocket launcher area becouse they could be easily killed by armored swedes. So it was only a luck matter that Finland won.
All players were amazing here, showing that they are really on of the best ones. It would be hard to seperate any player couse all had similar efficiencies and scores, but I would vote for NaSSaL as the best player here. He kept the score equal for Sweden while BuBkeZ was having troubles on rocket launcher area in the first part of the game.
q2dm1 - eDome Clan 4 (194.251.249.72:27940)
This was also a very close and dramatic game. Though the score doesn't reflect it, I could say it was as close as dm7. Both teams shared mega room control, but Sweden seemed to be stronger in rail area while Finland held arena and lift more. Both tactics seemed to work fine but this time Sweden were overmatched. Although the score was equal for a lot of times during the game, Finland finally got the lead they needed to win in the very end.
The best player award here goes to Provi. He didn't give up when Sweden seemed to take control and lead the team to a comeback. His amazing chain and rail skills helped both in mega room and in rail area.
q2dm8 - eDome Clan 4 (194.251.249.72:27940)
I can say that expression "the winner is who first takes powershield" worked here. Sweden always had some advantage getting power ups so they also took powershield and emerged safely with it first. BuBkeZ was first then NaSSaL got powershield too. That made them fragmachines and Finland didn't have much against. Only xircuit wisely used BFG10K to kill one of them but the next respawned powershield was taken by Sweden again. In the beginning while the game was still even both teams shared rails and Finland even had some lead, but Sweden had the end of the game.
Surely, BuBkeZ and NaSSaL were best here having powershields but I also want to greet xircuit. Although on losing team, he managed to get positive efficiency and killed some powershielded guys.
q2dm2 - eDome Clan 4 (194.251.249.72:27940)
The first part of the game was very interesting. Sweden had advantage at quad where frza and odium took almost every quad and Finland had red armor where Damiah was at lift. That promised a tight game, but unfortunately Finland lost their red armor control and then there was nothing much they could do to Sweden. In the end Sweden only kept increasing the score for map picking advantage, I supose.
In my opinion, Dimmu's weak play was the main reason of Finland's loose. He was overmatched at quad by frza and odium and thus only Provi wasn't able to do anything alone.
On the whole, Sweden showed nice teamplay. GG!
So as I have expected, the game needed 5th map. Sweden had frag advantage so they decided that Finland should be first to kick off a map. Finland kicked off dm5 and Sweden were glad to pick one of their best maps - dm3.
q2dm3 - eDome Clan 4 (194.251.249.72:27940)
Sweden had an amazing start with quad and invul. Only after a few minutes Finland woke up and started fragging. Still they didn't do so good as Sweden. Though they tried to get quad hard, NaSSaL and frza were often faster to get it. Only place where Finland had some advantage was rail area, but that didn't do much against Sweden's good quad control.
In my opinion NaSSaL was the best player of this map. Although it was very hard to choose, cause all did very well.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that this game was expected to be the big finals, it was a very interesting and thrilling match. Again as on last 2 finals of NDML Finland was very close to beat Sweden, but again they didn't manage to make it to the end. Since Poland is already in the big finals, Finland's performance here is done and they only got 3rd place this time. Anyway good luck for Sweden in the hard fight for the first place and GG!