Falcons Nearly Fall to Team Next Level in IEM Dallas 2025 Closed Qualifier

A resilient Falcons squad secured a hard-fought victory over the young Ukrainian roster of Team Next Level, closing out the series 2-1. TNL played with composure but executed unconventional strategies, securing swift 5-0 rounds. Both teams won their map picks, but on Mirage, Falcons struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar opponent, forcing overtime. Despite the risk of an upset, their experience and consistency helped them overcome late-game pressure.

Here are the match highlights.

Map One – Ancient was Team Next Level’s pick, and they started strong with an aggressive approach, quickly taking a 3-7 lead. They secured crucial rounds in 2v4 situations and confidently attempted 1v3 clutches. Their disciplined play, well-executed attacks, and signature Molotovs gave TNL a strong start, closing the first half with a 4-8 advantage.

In the second half, Falcons began on the attack, showcasing Tier 1-level attempts to dictate the pace. However, TNL’s site anchors adapted swiftly, keeping their lead at 8-12. They maintained composure until the end, demonstrating their discipline by saving in a 3v4 to minimize risk. In the very next round, they sealed the map 8-13, with Flierax executing a perfectly timed triple kill.

Map Two – Nuke saw TNL start on defense, winning the pistol round but dropping two eco rounds, allowing Falcons to take an early 3-0 lead. In the first gun round, TNL contested aggression outside but ultimately lost control, leading to a 3-1 scoreline. With Ancient already lost, Falcons had no room for mistakes and maintained their lead at 5-2. TNL, however, played fearlessly, pushing with pistols on eco rounds, aggressively holding defensive angles, and hunting key kills during saves.

A highlight moment occurred when NiKo team-killed to prevent onic from earning extra money in Round 6. In Round 8, TNL’s aggression paid off, wiping out Falcons without losses, prompting a timeout. Falcons responded with a fast B push through ramp, ending in a 1v1 post-plant situation. TNL’s cairne managed a ninja defuse in the smoke, dodging NiKo’s bullets, securing a critical round. Falcons held onto their advantage at 6-4, but TNL continued to pressure them with bold plays. However, Falcons’ experience began to show, with NiKo clutching a crucial round to close the first half at 7-5.

In the second half, Falcons won the pistol round and followed up with two more, putting TNL under pressure. After a timeout, TNL executed a flawless 5-0 pistol round, utilizing a flashbang to neutralize the sniper before storming A with Tec-9s. Falcons immediately bounced back, denying TNL any momentum and taking control of the second gun round. They closed out Nuke 13-6, securing their pick.

Both teams demonstrated high-level shooting across the first two maps. TNL surprised Falcons early on, making it difficult for them to adjust, while Falcons leveraged their experience and the star power of NiKo and TeSes to dominate Nuke.

Map Three – Mirage began with TNL on the attack, securing the pistol round and their first gun round but allowing Falcons to save two weapons. Falcons then won their first gun round despite a close clutch attempt, followed by two more rounds, pushing the score to 3-2. TNL played cautiously, winning two duels and planting on A but lost the retake due to a slight positional mistake. An eco-round victory brought them back to 4-3.

Falcons responded with consistency, shutting down TNL’s tactics and creative bombsite executions. Their defensive stability resulted in a five-round streak, closing the half at 9-3.

In the second half, Falcons quickly took mid control and rushed B, losing three players but winning the pistol round. TNL capitalized on saved armor, winning the force buy and playing a disciplined game. Their defensive patience paid off, as they secured three rounds to bring it to 10-8. Falcons countered with explosive setups, extending their lead to 12-8. However, TNL’s controlled aggression kept them in the game at 12-9.

TNL’s Flierax delivered a standout performance as a sniper, winning a crucial round with a well-coordinated setup—12-11. A failed A-site push from Falcons forced overtime.

TNL gained the upper hand, leveraging onic’s unpredictable palace position to take a 12-13 lead. Falcons responded, regaining control at 14-13.

Despite TNL’s impressive performance, Falcons' stability across two maps proved decisive, sealing a 16-13 win on the final map.