Fnatic vs BeastCoast Prediction: Substitutions will get the Asian team to TI11

One of the most important international Dota 2 tournaments, the PGL Arlington Major 2022, will continue in the United States on Thursday, August 11. Fnatic and BeastCoast will face off in the lower round play-off series.

PGL Arlington Major 2022 is a major international cyber-sports tournament in Dota 2. The tournament in the U.S. will be the second and final major event of the 2021/22 DPC season. Top 17 teams from around the world will compete for the prize pool of $500,000 and 4,570 DPC points from August 4th till August 14th.

Fnatic: crucial game for a place at the most important tournament

A very strange situation: as many as three players at Fnatic did not get visas and the Major organization allowed this Asian team to play with three (!!!) substitutes at once. It is noteworthy that a trio of players were found in TSM, so it is rather an American team, because Asians are in the minority in this temporary stack called Fnatic. Everyone immediately buried this team. However, they continue to surprise, having lost only once, and that to the undefeated PSG.LGD. At the same time, they became fourth in a tough group that A is. Fnatic beat Team Liquid (2-0) and Soniqs (2-0), and drew five times with RNG, Outsiders, OG, Talon Esports, and Thunder Awaken. And the guys obviously have no intention to stop there!

In the first round of the playoffs, Fnatic played against Team Aster (0-2). Expectedly, the Asian team lost, but on the first map they had a solid advantage, which, unfortunately, they threw away. On the second map, the Chinese were taken out in 20 minutes. Today they have the most important game, because yesterday the American team Evil Geniuses left the major. Which means that they won't get more DPC points. Which means that victory over BeastCoast guarantees the Asians a direct exit to TI11. Not bad how the TSM players boosted someone else's organization.

After TI10 there were changes at Fnatic: Armel, an experienced player from TNC Predator, sat on the mid, while Jaunuel from OB Esports x Neon got the hard-support. In January the team was completely re-synchronized and Fnatic became an powerful once again.

At the end of the first DPC they managed to make a comeback and reach the Majors, which was canceled at the last minute. In the second DPC league there were no such problems, they quietly occupied the top-3 preparing for the majors.

In Sweden, as part of the group stage, the magic of numbers followed the team. They finished the entire first stage with the statistics of 2-2-2, which did not allow them to start in the winners. In the first match of the playoffs, the guys received a familiar opponent — T1, overcoming them with a score of 2-1. And then there was the game with OG (1-2), which was also supposed to have ended with a victory, only for the Europeans to make a comeback on the third map. After that OG couldn't be stopped. Fnatic finished the major in 7th-8th place, which is not bad overall.

BeastCoast: main task solved

BeastCoast has secured a place in the main tournament of the year, which means that this major is not so important in terms of the result. Yes, the Peruvians want to perform well, but let's be frank, they like to throw in any game.

They performed well at the last Swedish major, won the 5-6th place and even securing a place in the TI11, but their exit from the group at this American major let the Peruvian team to avoid the qualification to the TI11, which is very important for the organization and the South American region in general.

Many people blamed their decline in the first DPC league for the lack of a major, but it didn't go away in the second regional league. It took a miracle for Peruvians to qualify for the Swedish major which was not a good match for them in the group. The Peruvians were unable to come away with a clean victory throughout the group stage, winning only four of the twelve maps played. But that didn't stop the team from doing well in the playoffs. In Texas, the Peruvians didn't please their fans either, winning only one series with BOOM (2-0), but their solid play in several games and four draws helped them make the playoffs now. But let's be honest, their opponent is much more motivated, and Fnatic shows a better game in the United States.

BeastCoast has continued to play in the same lineup since 2019, the change was not even triggered by poor play at TI10, although the beasts were the best team in the region at this tournament, getting at least into the playoff stage. Looking at all the teams in South America, it's hard to imagine who, other than Thunder Awaken, can really match BeastCoast when they are motivated and not trying to experiment with drafts.

Head-to-head encounters

Only once have these teams played each other. It was at TI10 in 2021 and that match ended 1-1. But the teams have changed, and Fnatic at this tournament is more of a TSM rather than an Asian grandee.

Expert Betting Tips

The motivation and the level of play the current Fnatic shows should simply demolish the team beastcoast from the server. They do not need anything, and the way they play is not becoming of a champion. So we expect to see Fnatic win here with a maps handicap (-1.5), the odds for this are 2.62 at Bet365.

Fnatic will win the match with Frags Handicap (-8.5) for 1.70 at 22bet.

Many predict almost a million frags in this meeting, but I think that the teams will combine to a maximum of 120.5 frags. You can bet on Total Under (120.5) frags for and on such a total of less give odds of 1.84 at 1xbet.