In all sports, there are those rivalries that the entirety of the community waits with bated breath to see. Baseball has the Yankees versus the Red Sox. Football has Real Madrid versus Barcelona, which even has a nickname – El Clasico. Dota 2, even though it is new compared to these well-established sports with years of history, used to have its own: Alliance versus Na’Vi. This matchup even shares the El Clasico nickname. Whilst its significance has faded in recent times, Na’Vi and Alliance are both enjoying decent form at present. This means that the Manila Major could play host to the first El Clasico at a Valve event since TI4.
The rivalry between Na’Vi and Alliance has been strong ever since No Tidehunter became Alliance in 2013. Na’Vi and Alliance were considered two of the strongest teams in the lead-up to The International 3, and these opinions proved to be correct. The teams fought valiantly, and met for arguably their greatest clash in the final for The International 3, which Alliance managed to win 3-2. The final game of that series is rightfully mentioned every time a list of greatest ever games of Dota 2 is drawn up. The play was so stellar, and the rivalry so intense that it is tough to match.
Since The International 3, any El Clasico series has become less suffused with significance. Alliance and Na’Vi took turns struggling for form, and the matches between them turned from series that decided major tournaments to mid-tier squabbles. Both teams have changed rosters many times. Alliance has settled back on the roster that won The International 3, while Na'vi are a radically different team, with only Danil 'Dendi' Itushin remaining since the last El Clasico at a Valve event at The International 4. The teams met in the group stages, and Alliance emerged victorious.
This could change at the Manila Major. Although they are not in the same group, Alliance and Na’Vi could potentially meet at a Valve event for the first time in almost two years. Fans of both teams are likely eager to see this well-known rivalry rekindled on the main stage in Manila. With the start of the event almost upon us, the time until a possible El Clasico is short. All eyes in the Dota world are on Manila., where many stories wait to be written. Hopefully one of those is of another epic match between these two established teams.
Headline image from gosutv.vn
