Dota 2
After seeing what happened during The International 12 Group Stage, it’s time to look at the Phase Two series. The clashes were important because the winning teams secured slots for the Upper Bracket of The International 12. As for the losers, they were sent to the LB, where every mistake will be their last.
There are a couple of days left until the beginning of TI12 playoffs, where we expect to see a lot of epic series. With that said, this The International 12 Phase Two overview will reveal more details about which series took place.
Team Spirit vs Shopify Rebellion
As expected, the clash between Team Spirit and Shopify Rebellion was one of the most intriguing matches of The International 12 Phase Two. Most people expected the team from Eastern Europe to win, and it did, but the matches were closer than anticipated.
The first game was pretty easy for Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk and the rest because the team has some of the best meta heroes right now. Kunkka and Spirit Breaker gave the North American roster no chance to utilize the TB draft, resulting in a 40-minute victory.
Having said that, the second map of the Team Spirit vs Shopify Rebellion was way more intense. SR did not want to go down without a fight, so the team did everything it could to bounce back in the series. Their Chaos Knight got really big and almost carried the team to victory, but in the end, Team Spirit prevailed, and the Easter European team defeated their counterparts.
TSM vs Virtus.Pro
When talking about The International 12 Phase Two overview, the second series we had the chance to watch was the TSM vs Virtus.Pro clash. We didn’t expect the games to be nail biters, because TSM was the favorite. However, Virtus.Pro’s players stepped up their game and won the match.
The first map between the two was the one to watch because the game was 55 minutes long. There were tons of comebacks, and most of us expected TSM to win because of their draft. However, this wasn’t the case. After this painful loss, the squad couldn’t bounce back and lost the second map to VP in 28 minutes.
Team Liquid vs Evil Geniuses
This was the most one-sided series from The International 12 Phase Two, which is no surprise, considering the teams playing it. Following the Group Stage matches, it became clear Team Liquid would be one of the big favorites to win TI 12. Following their impressive results in the group, Liquid had no difficulties defeating Evil Geniuses, winning both games in around 37 minutes. The team from South America tried to surprise their opponents with an interesting draft, but things didn't work out.
Gaimin Gladiatiators vs Talon Esports
The next series worth a recap in our overview is probably the biggest surprise so far. Gaimin Gladiators, the big favorite to lift the Aegis, was unable to defeat the only competing team from Southeast Asia. Despite winning the first map fairly quickly, GG failed to do the same in Games 2 and 3 and will have to play in the Lower Bracket.
The second game of the match was the most action-packed, lasting more than an hour. Although GG’s draft was perfect, the late-game Invoker and Bloodseeker were too strong for the mighty PA, and Gaimin Gladiator lost the map.
Both teams changed their drafts for Game 3, but Talon looked way more motivated and defeated their opponents in just 43 minutes, allowing them to secure a match against Team Liquid in the event's next stage.
LGD Gaming vs Keyd Stars
The phenomenon from South America survived in Group D and got the chance to play against the mighty Chinese powerhouse LGD Gaming. Even though fans were eager to see the Brazilian squad in action, the team couldn’t surprise Guo "shiro" Xuanang and the rest. As expected, LGD had no issues in both series and won in under 30 minutes.
BetBoom Team vs 9Pandas
Another series we have to talk about is the clash between BetBoom Team and 9Pandas. The two Eastern European squads have met several times, and BB Team usually come out on top. But this time, while Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko and the rest won the first map, 9Pandas rose from the ashes and won the next two maps.
Most Dota 2 fans didn’t expect BB Team to lose this match, but in the end, 9Pandas proved they were more motivated to win. Thanks to the better picks, Roman "RAMZES666" Kushnarev and his squad won both maps with little to no effort, securing a slot for the Upper Bracket. Sadly, BB Team will need to fight for its survival in the Lower Bracket.
Tundra Esports vs nouns
Speaking of surprising results in TI 12’s Phase Two, Tundra Esports vs nouns is probably the match that stands out. The current TI champions didn’t lose a single series in Group D, but it was unable to defeat nouns, the underdogs from North America.
What’s even more surprising about the match is Tundra didn’t even come close to winning. Nouns dominated games one and two and proved they should be among the top eight in the Upper Bracket. We can’t wait to see the team against Azure Ray.
Entity vs Azure Rayv
The final series of The International 12 Phase Two put together the underdogs from Western Europe and China’s Azure Ray. Even though game 1 was close, in the end, Azure Ray won the map. The second game only lasted 34 minutes with Lou "Lou" Zhen and the rest ripping through their opponents, sending them to the Lower Bracket.
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