picture courtesy of StarLadder
In front of the hometown crowd, Newbee fell flat at StarLadder i-League Invitational 2 as TnC surged past the Chinese hopefuls with a 2:0 sweep.
With the last day in full swing, TNC and Newbee were at a crossroads of elimination and Grand Finals of the StarLadder i-League Invitational 2. Everything was on the line and the pressure was through the roof. TnC's discipline, cohesion and carefully executed strategies would reign in the end.
Game One
Going right into the lion's den, TnC played with high risk, big plays to try and lay a claim to an early lead. Despite every attempt by Newbee with on point rotations, they were unable to thwart the great force expelled by the SEA team. 20 minutes in, TnC were already knocking on the door of victory and Newbee were scurrying around to find an answer. Newbee tried to tread carefully by exercising patience and control to bridge the massive gap and regain any sense of control. A commendable effort, but in the end it was not enough to turn the tables. The last pick Luna for TnC seemed be the clincher that paid off in multiples.
Game Two
With their backs against the wall, Newbee went forward like a bat out of hell. Newbee's start gave them a sense of confidence, while it forced TnC to be meticulous and intelligent about the fights they wanted to take - an approach that the Philippines-based team executed perfectly. Slowly chipping away at Newbee's lead, TnC began to see their strategy rise above the Chinese team's efforts to win.
Next stop is the Grand Finals - a best-of-five series expected to push the limits of excitement Team Liquid will face TnC Pro at approximately 13:00 CEST.