We continue to analyze for you all the matches at the first qualifiers of this year's VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff. Today we will talk about the semifinals of the lower grid, where MIBR vs KRU Esports are fighting for the right to stay in the tournament. The elimination matches are always interesting, so below we will analyze the form of both teams.

Current form of the teams

MIBR

The Brazilian team, which last season was an outsider, now looks very confident, and continues to beat opponents. The fact that the new roster MIBR formed around the talented player Aspas, who is considered one of the best in the world, and so far expectations are justified. Before the current qualifiers, the team participated in the Tixinha Invitational where they took 2nd place, as well as in the Spotlight Series Americas 2024 where they took 3rd-4th place. In the last five meetings the team has 3 wins over Evil Geniuses, Leviatan, Cloud9 . In turn, two defeats came in matches against 100 Thieves and FURIA.

MIBR is the main dark horse in this tournament, and so far the team fully corresponds to this title. After losing the first match, the team went to the bottom set, where they are now successfully defeating their opponents one by one, and in this match they will most likely be the winner as well.

KRU Esports

The Argentinian team in turn also showed itself well before the start of the current qualifications, namely at the Tixinha Invitational, where it took 3rd place out of 8 possible. At the current tournament, the team is also so far successfully making its way through the lower net. In the last five meetings the team won 4 wins over LOUD, NRG and 2Game Esports twice. In turn, the only one was the match against LOUD.

KRU Esports as well as future opponents do not stand out, but they in turn can not be called a dark horse. A mid-level team that has done well so far in the tournament, but their opponents were not too strong either.

Team Mapple

Expected bans:

MIBR will likely ban Haven

KRU Esports will probably take out Abyss, as MIBR has 100% there

Expected picks:

MIBR will probably pick a surprise Pearl or Split

KRU Esports, may take Bind their strongest card.

Head-to-head meetings between the teams

The teams have not had a face-to-face meeting in the last six months. The last one was at VCT 24: AMER Stage 1 where KRU won 2-0, but then both teams had a different lineup, so this match is not worth taking into account.

Match Prediction

Despite the fact that at first glance the teams are on the same level, MIBR still maintain their dark horse status, under the control of the best duelist in the world. Therefore, we favor the Brazilian team in this match, although the victory is unlikely to come so easily.

Match outcome: MIBR win with a score of 2-1.

The VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff tournament will take place from June 16 through November 8 in LAN format at the Riot Games Arena in Los Angeles. Twenty-five VCT partner teams are competing for two Masters Bangkok invitations and the all-important Americas Points needed to qualify for the World Championship.