SA's old guard stands strong (mostly)

After a surprising first Monthly Final, South America stays relatively safe from underdog runs with a solid April Monthly Qualifier. Last time, Calabresos took it home, winning the Grand Final 3-0 over CVD F/A - now representing SKCalalas - after their unexpected victory against Fofoletes F/A - now going by the name of F/A MiniPekkas. The two finalists qualified comfortably this month, both going through clean runs.

Team Queso still had to prove themselves. Jxcr and Rhz dominated South American tournaments early last year, and their expectations remain high for 2024. They showed they still have what it takes as they beat Urubus Do Pix to qualify from the upper bracket. 

In probably the biggest upset of the MQs, Reis da PL took out F/A MiniPekkas from the upper bracket to qualify this month in a close 2-1 match. This team failed to qualify in March but always had good expectations to upset more teams in the monthly single-elimination bracket.

The lower bracket didn't surprise us a lot. MiniPekkas qualified without any more upsets, winning 2-0 over Bota Limpo, formerly known as iworlds. Marruecos also had no trouble with an easy win against an underdog team to qualify.

On the other side of the bracket, One Chance and Olimpo Squad faced in a 50/50 banger match, going 2-1 in favour of OS. And as the only real and biggest upset in the Lower Bracket, Level Esports, with the recent signing of Lukitas, took down Urubus Do Pix in another close 2-1 game.

QUALIFIED TEAMS

1) Calabresos F/A | Edinho, FireCrow, KaioDog, AlchemicalX (C), Trekking (M)

Calabresos come to the Monthly Finals, once again, ready to emerge victorious and establish their dominance this year, but this time, they face tougher competition, as F/A MiniPekkas and SKCalalas are better prepared. Will history repeat itself, with only one team dominating the region again?

2) Team Queso | Bryan, Jxcr, Rhz, Joaking (C), Kius (M)

Team Queso is ready to prove themselves and have a strong start. Bryan, Jxcr and Rhz are thirsty for an early headstart in the points race, as this can go a long way. This team showed a good level last month, reaching the semifinals but being knocked out by Calabresos. Can they keep the same level from last year? Will they show SA West can take out big teams from the East?

3) SKCalalas | CaueBR, Doritos, VTzim, Acee (A)

CVD F/A comes this month representing SKC. The roster made it to the Grand Finals last month, taking out MiniPekkas and showing aggressive playstyle and great mechanics. But this time, the expectations are higher. Can they do it again and surprise us once more?

4) Reis da PL | Brabão, BKB IceCrow, Lele, Toodyxz, Diego (M)

Reis da PL weren't expected to qualify from the upper bracket, but they did, and it was against F/A MiniPekkas. They didn't show up in March but always had the hopes to upset big teams. Can they surprise everybody yet again by making a deep run this month?

5) Level Esports | B4st, Deykon, Lukitas, Rookie (M)

The recent signing Lukitas showed exactly why he was picked up, as Level Esports qualified this time. This org is not new in Brawl Stars but never quite had the success they wanted. This new squad has already shown good synergy, but can they show us even more?

6) Olimpo Squad | Exic, Meliodas, Nico, Portox, Diego (M)

Olimpo Squad aren't rookies anymore and are ready to shake things this month. Their preparation has clearly been working, and they might upset teams in the next months. Their first match is against Reis da PL. The time is now to show up, but will they handle the pressure?

7) F/A MiniPekkas | Jubileu, Mohtep, Pekka, Rol (C)

F/A MiniPekkas weren't expected to come from the lower bracket, but here they are. Will they show that the swap of Jubileu and Tufa was a good decision? The pressure is huge. Pekka and Mohtep can't afford to lose in the first round to SKCalalas, especially after the addition of Jubileu. Will the ex-Nouns roster show they still have the skill?

8) Marruecos | Alonso, Kristian, Loko

Marruecos qualify for the Monthly Finals again to face Calabresos in the first round. If they lose this time, LCQ will turn into an uphill battle as other teams climb up the leaderboard. Will they succeed, or will their LCQ hopes slip out of their hands?