After a terrible group stage, Alliance strikes back and survives the scary best-of-one elimination lower bracket game against Cloud 9.
For both teams the stake was crucial as their own survival at the first DotA 2 Major tournament was on the table in the best-of-one first match up of lower bracket and both teams have approached the game with extreme caution. Although in theory Cloud 9 had a better late game draft, Alliance kept pressuring all the lanes and only engaged when they had a clear advantage.
The game started quite good for Alliance who secured the first blood when Tusk rotated into the top lane and created a lot of pressure on Cloud9’s carry Ritsu who was falling behind in terms of items progression. Forced to go for multiple early game items, Ritsu was feeling insecure anywhere on the map despite his great mobility as Spectre. Things have changed drastically once 1437 reached level six on Ancient Apparition and with perfect use of their ultimates combo, Haunt into Ice Blast, Ritsu found a few pick offs that brought him back on the right track with his Radiance progression.
Around the twenty minute mark things were looking grim for Alliance who was constantly pushed by Cloud 9 and with Radiance finished on Spectre, the Swedish squad was refusing to fully commit in teamfights. But the saving grace for Alliance came from s4’s the amazing plays from on his Windranger who finished a fast Aghanim’s Scepter and once he also had a Daedalus he become an unstoppable beast. At the 35 minute mark S4 was leading Alliance into siege with Windrun always up and managed to take the first tier three tower from Cloud 9.
Even though big items were coming into play on both Loda - Gyrocopter and Ritsu - Spectre as the game was progressing towards the late game stage, teams were still afraid to clash in teamfights. Stressing on the importance of always having Aegis on the Gyrocopter, Alliance postponed the end of the game quite a lot. 56 minutes were needed for Scandinavians to finally find the perfect engagement to seal the deal and move forward to the best-of-three lower bracket games.
headline image from Alliance facebook page
