Before heading into a day off at the ESL One Stockholm Major, two teams have locked themselves in the top 3. TSM.FTX have done it for North America, while Tundra Esports continued their super dominant run.
After three days of group stage matches and three days of playoffs battles, Tundra Esports remained the only team to have dropped only two games at the Major. The only teams to have taken a game from them were the Eastern European representatives BetBoom Team, in the group stage, and Team Spirit in the playoffs opener.
The upper bracket semifinals pitted Thunder Awaken against Tundra, but despite the marvelous upsets delivered so far at the Major by the SA team, they were no match for what is rapidly becoming the team to beat in Stockholm.
Tundra Esports
vs
Thunder Awaken
Thunder were still able to catch Tundra by surprise more than a couple of times with their fearless plays in the first game. Courtesy of clutch plays from Martínez "Darkmago" Gonzalo on a mid Kunkka and countless saves from Farith "Matthew" Puente on a Rubick with Aghanim's Shard, they were able to defend against mega creeps and push the game past the 60 minute mark.
However, the tier 5 neutral drops came in very handy for Tundra. Their already extremely beefy cores, Wraith King and Mars got their hands on Giant’s Ring and Ex Machina, respectively, and became unkillable, allowing Tundra to finally close a game.
More clutch plays came from Thunder Awaken in the second game, where they went for a carry Magnus and an offlane Sand King. However, the chaotic teamfights didn’t break Tundra’s focus and the SA team was sent to the lower bracket with a 0-2 defeat.
The day continued with another series that delivered pretty unusual games of Dota 2.
Gaimin Gladiators fought for a spot in the upper bracket finals against TSM.FTX and in both matches they managed to overfarm and outmaneuver the NA team, but critical mistakes cost them the series.
TSM FTX
vs
Gaimin Gladiators
At the 20 minute mark in the first game of the series, TSM were leading 15 to 3 in kills, but the gold advantage had been in GG’s favor the entire time. That happened solely due to Marcus "Ace" Hoelgaard incredible farm on Timbersaw. The fact that he laned against a carry Nature’s Prophet also helped, but it wasn’t the main factor. Ace’s Mars kept Gladiators ahead and pretty much gave gigantic space for his carry Monkey King to find the farm and get ready for the high ground assault.
But despite controlling the game to perfection, a single team fight 43 minutes into the game turned the tide completely and gave TSM.FTX the opportunity to take the win.
A few uncharacteristic mistakes happened in game two as well. This time around it was GG who had a very dominant start on the back of a small zoo strategy with a position 5 Enchantress and an offlane Beastmaster for Ace, who once again was the most farmed hero on the map. Nonetheless, an Aegis gifted to TSM.FTX and a Boundless Strike thrown a tad too early in a crucial teamfight cost them the series and pushed them to the lower bracket rounds for the main event.
Both Thunder Awaken and Gamin Gladiators will play their first matches in front of a live audience this coming Friday, May 20, while the upper bracket finalist, Tundra Esports and TSM.FTX, will battle against each other for a place in the grand finals on Saturday, May 21st.
headline photo credits: ESL|Adela Sznajder
