Dota 2
Although many consider the North American Dota 2 region the least powerful, it will have three representatives at The International 12. After looking at Shopify Rebellion, the favorite from NA, it's time to review the second-most famous team - TSM. The latter has not been among the best Dota 2 squads throughout 2023, but it has exciting players.
Regarding The International 12, Dota 2's biggest tournament will begin soon. We finally have access to the Dota 2 Compendium, which includes a lot of perks. The event's current prize pool is not impressive, but we expect it to increase once Valve adds more interesting cosmetic items.
This article will be devoted to TSM with that out of the way. We will look at the squad's results, history, and chances of winning The International 12.
TSM Overview
The American organization has been a part of the esports scene for many years. In fact, the organization was first created in 2009, but it became a part of the Dota 2 scene in 2022.
There have been some roster changes over the years, but TSM's current roster is robust. The players have been together for almost one year and have always been one of the best in North America. Speaking of the squad, it consists of these names:
- Enzo "Timado" Gianoli
- Jonathan "Bryle" Santos
- Ilyas "kasane" Gainullin
- Matthew "Ari" Walker
- Matthew "Whitemon" Filemon
Even though some of TSM's decisions regarding its roster changes were questionable, the current players seem to work well. That said, some of its current roster members, such as Ari, do not have any experience, so we are still determining what to expect from them.
TSM's results in 2023
As mentioned, the North American region has been in need of improvement in the last couple of years, and 2023 wasn't an exception. Although SR had a few events where it performed better than expected, TSM wasn't that lucky. Fortunately, there were a couple of Dota 2 tournaments where the squad exceeded expectations.
The Lima Major 2023
TSM's performance at The Lima Major 2023 can be described with one word - disappointing. Many people expected a lot from this squad because the Major was in South America, and most of the team's members were from there. Sadly, the team could not do much and lost a lot of matches.
DreamLeague Season 19
TSM started its DreamLeague Season 19 journey with a fourh place finish in the first Group Stage, allowing it to advance to the second one. Although we expected the team to perform better there, the reality was different. TSM finished last in Group Stage 2 and lost six matches, ending the squad's DLS19 dream.
ESL One Berlin Major 2023
When we thought it couldn't get worse for TSM, the team failed at the ESL One Berlin Major 2023. Matthew "Ari" Walker and his teammates were in Group A, where they finished with 6 losses and 2 draws. The roster wasn't able to defeat anyone and ended up last.
DreamLeague Season 20
As much as we wanted to see TSM perform better, DreamLeague Season 20 was another failure. The squad was eliminated early, even though it was in Group A, where many people thought it had good chances. In the end, TSM got 6 draws and one loss, which wasn't enough to be in the top 4.
Riyadh Masters 2023
TSM was not in a good mood because the squad couldn't qualify for the Bali Major 2023. However, it received a slot for the Riyadh Masters 2023, the tournament with the largest prize pool.
TSM wanted to show the world that it could achieve better results than before, but this was definitely not their best tournament. After failing to win a single match, TSM was eliminated from Group B. The team only got 4 draws and 3 losses, and it couldn't deal with Shopify Rebellion and Tundra Esports.
BetBoom Dacha 2023
This was hands-down the best tournament for TSM in 2023. Even though no one expected the team to do much because of its previous results, the players exceeded expectations.
TSM came second in Group A and secured a slot for the Upper Bracket. Sadly, it lost against Gaimin Gladiators, which meant it was sent to the Lower Bracket. Despite being the underdog against 9Pandas, TSM defeated the Eastern European squad. It also dealt with beastcoast and even Team Secret before reaching the Grand Final.
The bad news for TSM was that the team couldn't defeat the powerful Gaimin Gladiators, although it won one of the maps. In the end, GG won yet another event, which is why many people think they are the big favorites for TI12.
Can TSM win The International 12?
If we have to guess, our answer is no because TSM hasn't won a single tournament so far. Although it achieved good results at BetBoom Dacha, we must remember that this was a small invite-only tournament. As we've seen from the previous competitions, TSM is struggling against some of the best squads in the world.
Another drawback that could affect the North American team's performance was that it did not participate in DreamLeague Season 21. The latter was the first big event on Dota 2's most recent patch, which is the one for The International 12.
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