While Vici Gaming began the series in a promising manner, they were unable to match up to Team Liquid, losing 2-0 in the end.
After a day of best-of-one elimination games and many teams exiting the AMD SAPPHIRE Dota Pit minor, we moved to the upper bracket final between Team Liquid and Vici Gaming. With neither team facing elimination but rather fighting for a place in the grand finals – or a spot in the lower bracket final, the stakes would remain high.
Game One
VG got off to a fantastic start as they found 2 kills before runes had even spawned as they looked to take down another championship team. For most of the early game, VG enjoyed the advantage, finding kills and farm across the map – and by ten minutes they had 1-5 lead. The Chinese squad continued their early pressure as they cleaned up all tier 1 towers on Liquid’s side of the map. But a misplay from VG at twenty one minutes allowed Liquid to turn a fight and take down 4 from the Dire team – opening the game up.
The game was suddenly completely in Liquid’s favour and just before thirty minutes, they entered the Rosh pit – while VG attempted to contest, they were taken down swiftly and Liquid claimed the aegis soon after. With their advantage, the Radiant team cleared away the tier 2 towers from their opponents side of the map before moving high ground and dropping the mid and bot lane barracks.
With mega creeps charging at them along with Amer ‘Miracle’ Barqawi on the Timbersaw, VG were facing a loss in the first game of the series. With forty two minutes passed, Liquid tore through the Dire line up and forced out the GG, giving them game one of the series.
Game Two
VG once more found the first blood, hoping to keep their early game advantage throughout the game this time around. After ten minutes they held a 3-6 lead on the scoreboard – but Liquid would not let that get too far out of hand. Much like in game one, they held the lead up until around twenty minutes, before Miracle’s Sven begun to come online and the Radiant squad found a brilliant fight to wipe VG from the map – before they claimed an aegis.
With their advantage, Team Liquid moved to the high ground and claimed the mid lane barracks, but not before Miracle absolutely destroyed his opponent’s line-up. With only thirty two minutes passed, Liquid wiped the Chinese team once more and they had no choice but to call GG.
Vici Gaming now will move down to the lower bracket where they will play against Newbee in a best-of-three lower bracket final. Team Liquid, however, are the first grand finalists and will be hoping to keep their streak of no losses going through the entire AMD SAPPHIRE Dota Pit minor.
