Pantheon Triumphs in Lyon
Morgan, Bouchard, Martin, and Alejandro claimed victory at last weekend’s Invitational Tournament in Lyon, continuing their dominant run as one of the top teams heading into this year’s Worlds.
The Lyon Invitational is a classic squad-format tournament, featuring invited teams who are playing together this season and are likely to represent at the World Championships.
Saturday: Group Stage
The event kicked off Saturday with five intense rounds in a single large group. In leading match of the day, Pantheon faced Vanguard with a 3:2 showdown. That win secured Pantheon the top spot in the group stage, with Vanguard finishing second.
Sunday: Double Elimination Bracket
On Sunday, the top four teams received a bye into the second round of the double-elimination bracket. What followed were thrilling matches, unexpected upsets, and even a rain delay — all leading to a dramatic series of final games.
In the Winners Bracket Final, Pantheon faced ARTE (Jason, Vincent, Alphonse, August). The match turned into a high-level shootout, with seven total goals and incredible plays on both sides. Ultimately, the home team led by World Champion Bouchard and Morgan edged out ARTE with a 4:3 win.
Morning Star’s Breakthrough
Morning Star (Reno, Oscar, Dani, Kostia) impressed with a strong run to the Losers Bracket Semifinal. There, they met Vanguard (Madej, Pajac, David, Levin), who brought relentless offensive pressure. Despite solid resistance from the young Morning Star squad — including standout Oscar — Vanguard secured a 3:1 win after 16 minutes. Morning Star finished in fourth place — a fantastic result.
Third Time: ARTE vs. Vanguard
ARTE and Vanguard met again in the Losers Final, their third clash of the weekend. Vanguard jumped to a 3:0 lead thanks to two goals from Madej and one from Levin. ARTE responded with a comeback, scoring twice. But Vanguard held on — thanks in part to an outstanding performance in goal from David — and advanced to the Grand Final.
The Final: Pantheon vs. Vanguard
Pantheon, the defending champions, were waiting in the final. After a cautious opening phase, the match picked up pace. With Pantheon leading 2:1, Vanguard shifted into a fully offensive “3-up” formation. Morgan capitalized with two massive goals sealing a 4:1 victory.
Pantheon are now back-to-back champions of the Lyon Invitational, giving a strong signal ahead of the upcoming European Championship in Perpignan, just three weeks away.
Post-Tournament Words from Oscar:
“Last weekend, I played the Lyon Invitational with my team, Morning Star. It was a super high-level tournament, and we were grateful to be given a chance to compete. Saturday didn’t go our way. But on Sunday, we showed up with a fresh mindset. Big thanks to my teammates Kostia, Dani, and Reno — great effort all weekend.”
The entire weekend was streamed live by DownOver on YouTube — go check it out!
Invit Winners History:
- 2025: Morgan, Bouchard, Martin, Alejandro
- 2024: Morgan, Bouchard, Martin, Dodi