The review of DreamLeague Season 11
Anton PashencevThe third Dota 2 Major was over, which took place in Sweden on March 14-24. The prize pool in the sum of $1,000,000 and 15,000 DPC points was up for grabs for 16 participants and the guys from Vici Gaming became the winners who defeated Virtus.Pro in the grand final. We will briefly sum up the competition and notice interesting moments from the championship in Sweden.
The teams, which have disappointed
Team Liquid
The guys from Team Liquid were coming to the championship as one of the main favorites and everyone expected that the team would enter the top four, at least, but something went wrong. Initially, the roster didn’t make it to the upper bracket because they lost to Team Secret and Keen Gaming in their group and lost to Chaos in the playoffs. Despite the 16th place on the outcome of the competition, the team still has good chances to get to The International 2019.
Natus Vincere
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
The roster was playing pretty well at LAN finals and even placed second at DreamLeague Season 10 and MegaFon Winter Clash. Probably, no one even expected Natus Vincere to advance to the grand final of the Major but the elimination in the first playoff match is also unacceptable for them. Initially, the team had equal matches with Evil Geniuses and Chaos, however, the loss to Vici Gaming didn’t allow them to make it to the upper bracket. SoNNeikO and the company were defeated in the first playoff match by J.Storm and this result can be called a failure. There are rumors about possible replacements on the internet.
Evil Geniuses
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
Everyone had expected Evil Geniuses to get to the top four, at least, and bookmakers had considered them to be one of the favorites, however, the roster placed 7th-8th. The team started its way well, having placed first in the group, but lost to Keen Gaming and Virtus.Pro at the playoff stage. It’s worth to notice that despite early elimination, the team has guaranteed itself enough points to get to The International 2019 after all.
The teams, which have performed in accordance with expectations
Forward Gaming
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
The roster with Resolut1on has not been able to show a good gaming level for a pretty long time and holds places, which are not higher than the 12th one, from Major to Major. The team passes qualifiers to rating tournaments only due to three slots are given to North America and the guys show absolutely nothing at the finals. Obviously, such results were not able to satisfy the team and there are rumors about the departure of Resolut1on.
EHOME
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
EHOME has recently been a strong enough team but made two replacements and doesn’t look that tough anymore. The roster held the third place in its group at the competition and lost to Infamous in the first playoff round and was eliminated from the competition. In general, the result can be called predictable, however, they had to beat the Peruvians.
Mineski
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
Mineski was lucky with the group because Forward Gaming and Virtus.Pro were far from their optimal shape and EHOME didn’t have synergy after replacements. As a result, they had a struggle with Virtus.Pro and defeated EHOME twice, due to which made it to the upper bracket of the playoff bracket where were weaker than PSG.LGD. In the elimination match, pieliedie and the company were not able to cope with J.Storm and left the competition.
Infamous
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
The team Infamous has initially come to the competition as an obvious underdog and they have proved with their play that bookmakers had thought so for a reason. The team held the last place in its group and they only managed to beat EHOME, which were weak after replacements, in a bo1 match in the playoffs. Infamous lost the match to Team Secret with a score 2:0. By the way, each map was over less than in 25 minutes.
NiP
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
NiP has got to the competition due to three slots in the qualifiers for the European region. The team was not considered as the favorite by bookmakers and they didn’t have many chances to win. It’s worth to notice that the team looked pretty week in terms of drafts and this is not natural for PPD and his team. As a result, Ninjas in Pyjamas were defeated by Evil Geniuses in the lower bracket of the playoff stage and placed 9th-12th.
Chaos
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
Chaos Esports Club has visited a championship as a dark horse, not for the first time, however, the team has only managed to conform to it at DreamLeague Season 11. Chaos lost two matches in a row at the group stage and eliminated Team Liquid in the playoffs. By the way, the guys were knocked out by Virtus.Pro but looked pretty well in that match and had big chances to win. The result hasn’t probably satisfied w33 and his team, however, the 9th-12th place is a normal result for a roster from South America.
PSG.LGD
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
The guys from PSG.LGD have placed 5th-6th on the outcome of the championship and this is more than enough to get to the section “the teams, which have performed in accordance with expectations”. The Chinese team was performing with a stand-in and no one expected a victory from the players. The roster played the best in its group and beat Mineski in the playoffs but lost to both finalists and was eliminated from the competition.
Team Secret
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
Puppey and the company finished the group stage in the first place without special problems, after which were stronger than a row of teams but didn’t cope with both finalists. The team has entered the top four and it’s a decent result, considering that Team Secret has already guaranteed itself an invite to The International, so the result can be called satisfying.
Virtus.Pro
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
Solo and the company have stated for a number of times that they don’t have goals at tournaments because they had guaranteed themselves a slot at The International 2019. “The Bears” looked very shaky at the competition and didn’t win a match with a score 2:0. Their opponents were always able to win at least one map against VP. Despite all above-mentioned facts, Ramzes666 and his teammates’ gaming level is on an inaccessible level, so they have managed to advance to the grand final, even being not in an optimal shape, where they have lost with a score 3:2.
The teams, which have surprised
J.Storm
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
J.Storm was obviously not expected to perform well and the guys fully proved the underdog status at the group stage. The team has lost two matches out of two and held the last place. In the playoffs, the team beat Natus Vincere and Mineski, due to which placed 7th-8th, and this result can be called a good one for a team from North America.
Keen Gaming
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
The roster of Keen Gaming was showing itself well during the last couple of months, however, no one expected them to make it to the top six. During the championship, Kaka and the company managed to make a sensation in the match against Evil Geniuses, however, Fnatic and Team Secret are on a higher level now.
Fnatic
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
The team with iceiceice was performing well during the whole season but the team showed its maximum at DreamLeague Season 11 and looked very well. The team beat the rosters, which were on its level, Keen Gaming and NiP without special problems and even made Virtus.Pro to step down to the lower bracket in the playoffs. Fnatic was not able to defeat Vici Gaming a bit later, after which “the bears” won a rematch in the lower bracket. Due to this reason, Dj and the company have placed third and this is a very good result for a team from Southeast Asia.
Vici Gaming
Photographer - Andrey Bosenko
The guys from Vici Gaming are the real breakthrough of the championship because no one has expected such a result from the roster, which had made it to the Major through StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor. The roster looked very well and lost only one match at the whole competition, which was at the group stage. We would like to remind that the team’s play was not going well during the qualifiers to the Major and the guys even replaced Fade on Agressif but this didn’t work. Fade wanted to leave the team before the qualifiers to the Minor, so it is possible that the roster will be changed after all.