The International 11 is down to its four remaining teams as this weekend’s countdown to crown the champions is coming to an end. In the Upper Bracket finals, Team Secret and Tundra Esports battle it out for the first finalist spot, where the winner will place at least in the top two. Meanwhile, Team Aster and Team Liquid are playing for their lives in the tournament, where the loser gets a creditable fourth place in TI11.
The first days of the TI11 qualifiers started with some amazing surprises, as we saw several powerhouses drop like flies. In particular, Team Spirit got the worst of it by losing the best-of-one series against BOOM Esports, ending the defending champion’s dream of becoming a two-time champion.
Royal Never Give Up came into TI11 as heavy favorites, with the remnants of the PSG.LGD squad from TI8. Unfortunately, our predictions of RNG’s performance came true, as COVID-19 brought communications to a standstill on the main stage, but not before giving the crowd a whopping 100 minutes of play.
Yap “xNova” Jian Wei was the only RNG player who was healthy and played on the main stage alongside four dummies, while the rest of his team played in quarantine.
Massive upsets by South American teams
North America’s greatest, Evil Geniuses tumbled out of TI11 in two consecutive losses by none other than their South American rivals.Thunder Awaken showcased their underdog energy that overwhelmed EG, before beastcoast down in the lower bracket dealt the finishing blow on EG’s TI run.
While it may seem like EG flopped in TI11 Playoffs, the truth is EG hasn’t been in shape since the DPC season, as admitted by Kanishka ‘Sam’ “BuLba” Sosale in the loser’s interview.
The last match between Liquid and Thunder Awaken left fans in awe of the clutching moments throughout the match. At some point, it was anyone’s game to win the match by one team fight.
The defining moment was when Matu’s lucky save on Michael “miCKe” Vu when he got stuck in Blackhole, surviving at only 1HP. Unfortunately, that also meant the end of TA’s TI run, and for the most part, the young squad’s debut at TI surpassed everyone’s expectations. However, it certainly is still heart-wrenching to lose like that.
Matumbaman and Team Liquid are looking to become two-time champions
Like the three remaining opponents at TI11, Lasse “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen’s TI11 run is emotional. Matu shared that this is his last TI, so whatever the results, it’s the last hurrah for him and his lucky shorts.
Backstories aside, Team Liquid alongside Team Secret are the TI11 Last Chance Qualified teams, which made it this far. They have earned their worth to be on the main stage of TI11 by playing their utmost best despite the sloppy DPC season.
Matu and Liquid are playing to become a two-time champion. While Tundra Esports and Team Aster will be newly-crowned Champions if they win TI11. Then, there’s Team Secret, which would be a new TI Champion, except for Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, a former TI1 Champion himself.
Alternatively, we can view this regionally, as China has one candidate against three of Western Europe’s candidates with a chance to win TI. Regardless, the Aegis of Champions will have a new region to call home, as they move out of Eastern Europe.The International 11 is coming to an end really soon, but the tournament still has a lot of exciting matches left to be played. If you are interested in Dota 2 betting, make sure to check out our page where there are odds for you to enjoy!
