After a number of pauses and problems during the first series of the DotA Pit Season 4 Finals, OG and MVP Phoenix finally got to their match-up.
MVP Phoenix were hoping to continue in the light of their rather fantastic showing in Shanghai where they placed 4th. On the other side of the coin, OG had a very poor Major, finishing in a terrible 7th-8th, and were unable to make the same impression they did in Frankfurt. OG were definitely attempting to get back to their winning ways with this series.
Game one
Going into game one, OG pick a line-up very reticent of their Frankfurt Major picks. The game gets off to a bad start for OG as they lose out on both early bounty runes and lose out on first blood too with a good rotate onto the Dark Seer of David 'MoonMeander' Tan. But OG come back, getting two kills onto the Seer. Going to the twelve minute mark, the game is definitely in MVP’s favour with the score being 8-4 and MVP able to easily get picks across the map – utilizing Spectre’s haunt.
OG look to take a teamfight at around the sixteen minute mark but with amazing earth spike stuns from Lion, MVP easily turn the fight and take down most of OG. The next attempted team fight from OG ends up going the same way and MVP begin to take complete control of the game. Just after the twenty five minute mark, both teams look to be working on pushing and farming up some items for the next fight.
This fight comes up soon after this as MVP take the tier two bot lane and proceed to destroy three of OG’s team and a fourth just moments after. OG look to pressure MVP and claim Rosh for their own but suddenly a full team wipe from MVP near the Rosh Pit gifts them map control again and a the second aegis of the game. At the thirty seven mark, MVP push the highground bot and after pushing a tier three tower and destroying a number of OG’s heroes, they force out the GG from OG.
Game two
From the draft alone, OG seemed to have drafted a much better line up than they did in the first game. First blood came just shy of the three minute mark, once again going the way of MVP, with rotations in from the Enchantress. The game was fairly even prior to ten minutes, with tier one towers being traded – the score being 5-4 in OG’s favour. But MVP realise that they need to start taking objectives and get a kill and a tier two bot tower.
Even with the push from MVP, OG played far better than they did in the first game and take map control and look towards gearing up for the next big teamfight. At the fifteen minute point, MVP take a Rosh, acquiring an aegis – but on the way out the pit they get caught, losing the aegis instantly. Following from this, OG end up taking complete map control and push down tier two towers and look to go highground ssoon after.
Twenty two minutes into game two, with OG destroying MVP at every turn, the GG is called – taking the series into a decisive game three.
Game three
MVP start the game as they did in game one, grabbing both early game bounty runes. But just before the three minute point, OG grab first blood on the mid Ember Spirit. After a great engagement from OG and a brilliant black hole from Fly, MVP turn the fight around completely, taking down four of OG’s line up. By the ten minute point, MVP had map control and on the back of a team fight going their way, MVP grab the first aegis of the game.
MVP remain in control on the map and the game - and as twenty minute approaches, they push down the final tier two tower on the Radiant side, in the bot lane, and continue, pushing up onto the highground, taking down the tier three tower. With Roshan spawning soon, MVP back off and this invites OG to contest the aegis. Sadly for OG, even when they seem to have a great initiation to a team fight - Dark Seer Vacuuming two players onto a cliff with a Black Hole from Enigma following up - they end up losing the fight and MVP take complete advantage of this, taking Roshan down and then proceeding to take out the bottom melee rax and running through most of OG’s line up.
Soon after this, with OG looking to be staring at their last moments in the tournament, the Dire team push through the mid tier three tower and rax. With nothing left for OG, buybacks expended and ulti's down, they throw in the towel, giving MVP Phoenix the game and a 2-1 series win. MVP now move onto the semi-finals, where they'll be facing off against compLexity.
