picture source: @Team Secret
Team Secret put up quite a performance in the winner's bracket final of Summit 7 as they beat LGD Gaming 2-0
When was the last time Team Secret were in the grand finals of a premier tournament? It was about 15 months back when they won the Shanghai Major. A few weeks later, the team started disintegrating and it has never been the same, dominant Secret since then. However, we began to see glimpses of what Secret can do at Epicenter Season 2 where they secured a top four finish. And it seems they've continued with their good form into Summit 7 as they managed to secure a spot in the grand finals after beating Chinese powerhouse LGD Gaming 2-0 in the winner's bracket final.
Game One:
Secret rolled over LGD in game one with the European team finishing it off in 25 minutes. The panel (for the Summit, it's more like 'the couch') seemed to think that LGD had the better draft, but Secret had plans to prove them wrong. Secret totally shut down Yao 'Maybe' Lu's Queen of Pain in the mid lane and made sure Nai 'MidOne' Zheng Yeik's Dragon Knight came out a lot stronger than the QoP from the laning stage. QoP drafts depend on her snowballing, If she has a bad early game, she isn't a hero that can flash farm and make a comeback, which was exactly what happened. With LGD failing to capitalize in the early game, Secret took control and saw the game through.
Game Two:
Game two was a much more evenly matched game as compared to game one. Initially, it seemed like LGD were running away with the game with the score 13-2 in their favor. The only catch Secret had for Wang 'Ame' Chunyu's Weaver was the Rubik lift and the panel went so far as to predict that Weaver would go without a death in the game. But as has often happened in the Chinese qualifiers this year, LGD imploded. Taking one bad fight after another, they allowed Secret to get back into the game. The odds were still in favor of LGD with a ridiculously farmed Enigma, but he couldn't get a game defining Blackhole that would see LGD take it to game three. MidOne's Troll raked up the farm and with Maurice 'Khezu' Gutmann's Bristleback to frontline, Secret destroyed LGD's base to draw out the GG in 43 minutes.
Team Secret now have a day off as they wait and watch who they will be facing for a shot at the Summit 7 title. LGD on the other hand, drop to the loser's bracket and need to mend their self-destructing tendencies if they are to hope for a chance of getting into the grand finals.