9z Shock Falcons to Stay Perfect in Astana as karrigan Suffers First Defeat

9z Shock Falcons to Stay Perfect in Astana as karrigan Suffers First Defeat

South American side 9z continued their breakout run at PGL Astana 2026 after defeating Team Falcons in a convincing three-map series, securing a 2-0 record in the Swiss stage and sending the heavily favored international lineup into the 1-1 pool.

The victory marked another major upset for 9z, who had already surprised many by dismantling PARIVISION in the opening round of the tournament. Their latest triumph further established them as one of the standout teams of the early stages in Astana.

For Falcons, the defeat was especially notable because it represented the first loss since the arrival of legendary in-game leader Finn 'karrigan' Andersen. The veteran captain had debuted with a victory over K27 earlier in the event, but Falcons failed to maintain momentum against a far sharper and more cohesive 9z side.

The series began on Nuke, where 9z immediately showed they were ready to challenge one of the tournament favorites. Strong defensive structure and impactful performances from their riflers allowed the South American squad to control the map and secure a 13-8 victory. Falcons struggled to find consistency on the T side, repeatedly running into prepared setups and losing key mid-round situations.

Falcons answered back on Mirage, their own map pick, where superstar duo Nikola 'NiKo' Kovač and Ilya 'm0NESY' Osipov finally found more impact. The European squad edged out a 13-9 win to force a decider, with NiKo delivering several crucial defensive rounds late in the game to prevent 9z from stealing the map as well.

However, any hopes of a Falcons comeback disappeared on Dust2. The decider turned into one of the most one-sided maps of the tournament so far, as 9z completely overwhelmed their opponents with relentless pace, confident entries, and dominant aim duels. Falcons managed to win only a single round before suffering a crushing 13-1 defeat.

The result continued a remarkable stretch for 9z’s revamped lineup featuring Franco 'dgt' Garcia, Nicolás 'max' González Zamora, Matias 'HUASOPEEK' Ibañez Hernandez, Lucas 'luchov' Cañete, and Ricardo 'meyern' Meyer. The squad has shown significantly improved firepower and coordination throughout the tournament, quickly becoming one of the most dangerous underdog teams in Astana.

Meanwhile, Falcons will need a rapid recovery if they want to avoid an early stumble in a tournament where expectations remain extremely high following the organization’s star-studded roster construction around NiKo, m0NESY, and newly acquired leader karrigan.