The final day of the Manila Major started with the lower bracket final match-up where the winner will go through to face OG later today.
With both Newbee and Team Liquid displaying some absolutely amazing skill throughout the event, they have shown that they are worthy of their podium finishes – but who will go through to the final of the Major?
Game One
Before the horn had even sounded, Team Liquid had already lost two to some very great positioning from Newbee’s Enchantress. Five minutes in and Newbee had continued to utilize their great supports to further their pressure and starved the Dire team of vision and kills. When the first team fight broke out at twelve minutes, Newbee managed to show their advantage by wiping the entire Dire team – with the score being 12-2 in their favour, they grabbed the first aegis.
Newbee then begun to systematically remove Team Liquid’s towers from the map, and drop Liquid's tier three bot tower. Liquid managed to defend their barracks bot, but it did not look like it would be for too long. After Liquid claimed a small skirmish in their favour, Newbee attempted to go high ground again to finish off the bot lane barracks, however, it was defended once more. Newbee’s third attempted high ground push was the one that got them their objective as they dropped the barracks and moved onto taking the other barracks.
With no chance at a comeback in sight, Team Liquid called GG, giving Newbee a 1-0 lead in the lower bracket final.
Game Two
Game two started off better for Team Liquid as they took a 4-1 lead by the five minute mark. The Radiant side continued to pressure the map, claiming a tier two tower in the top lane before they claimed three kills in their own jungle when Newbee initiated onto the Death Prophet. With eighteen minutes passed, Newbee took down Roshan but at the cost of their top tier three tower and melee barracks.
However Newbee started to control the game as they pushed down mid dropping the tier one and two towers. With their advantage, the Dire began to push another tier two tower in the bot lane. As both teams looked toward the Rosh pit, a big team fight occurred, and following a very long fight with no instant deaths, Liquid came out on top and pushed down the tier two mid tower.
As thirty seven minutes passed, Team Liquid wiped the entire Newbee team and dropped the mid barracks before they headed bot. Newbee had no choice but to throw in the towel, making the score 1-1 and taking the series to a decisive game three.
Game Three
The final game of the lower bracket final saw Team Liquid and Newbee fighting for a spot in the final to take on OG. The Dire sided Liquid claimed first blood in just under four minutes with a gank onto the top lane. But this game was a lot more balanced in the earlier moments with no team having a massive advantage. The first big team fight broke out just after ten minutes with Liquid obtaining one kill more than the Radiant.
The first aegis of the game went to Newbee, with the proceeding fight also going their way, making the Radiant look very comfortable in the game. But Liquid did not let the game get away from them easily and with twenty two minutes gone, the score was tied up at 11 apiece. The game entered a period of extended back and forth fights but Liquid had a small advantage with the towers they had pushed. Team Liquid then claimed a vital team fight in the mid lane as they drop both Newbee cores before they pushed down mid and claimed the barracks and moved to Roshan.
Team Liquid, with the aegis in hand, moved onto the top lane, where Newbee stood no chance of defending – and they called the GG. With that, Team Liquid moved on to the final of the Manila Major where they will be meeting OG, while Newbee claimed third place after an amazing showing throughout the event.
