Cover-Credits:
TNC Predator were cruising through the ESL One Thailand 2020 and was on the verge of a spot in the Upper Bracket of the playoffs when they came up against what would be their toughest challenge in the group stages against Fnatic.
A win in this game would see TNC Predator clinch a spot in the upper bracket playoffs. Fnatic was having a not-so-great run in this tournament, dropping a series against Motivate.Trust Gaming. So many expected TNC Predator to be the slightly stronger team in this matchup.
However, as is the case in many encounters between Fnatic and TNC Predator, things didn’t pan out exactly that way and we were treated to a cracking match between the two SEA sides.
Fnatic vs TNC Predator
Game 1: Things were looking good for TNC Predator fans as the Filipino team put out a stellar showing with their Faceless Void, Magnus combo. They completely dominated the Fnatic lineup, not giving them an inch and secured a win in just 23 minutes with a whopping 2-24 scoreline.
Game 2: Fnatic replied in a similar fashion with Raven taking over the game on his signature Spectre. The player found kills at every turn and was consistently the most farmed and dangerous hero on the map putting out a 19/0/10 scoreline, carrying his team to an easy Game 2 victory.
Game 3: The final game was a thrilling affair with multiple back and forth team fights. Although Fnatic always had the networth lead, TNC Predator managed to hold on to the game with some sick Sunstrike - Chaotic Offering - Haunt combos with Armel, March and Gabbi playing the Invoker, Warlock and Spectre respectively.
Fnatic struggled to breach the high ground, failing to overcome TNC Predator’s strong defense for the majority of the game. But in the final teamfight, they somehow managed to weave through TNC Predator’s base to kill them off to finally claim victory.
This was also a defining performance from Raven who proved that Fnatic was right to part ways with their 11k MMR carry 23savage in order to sign him. The Filipino carry is definitely one of the most reliable in the world of professional Dota 2. Fnatic can put all their eggs on Raven’s basket, and rely on him to carry them to victory.
Highlights:
This win for Fnatic pushed them above TNC Predator in the points table and sees them claim the second spot, in the group stage tables.
Now, TNC Predator will need to win both their remaining series to claim their spot in the Upper Brackets of the playoffs. It might prove to be a difficult affair considering the fact that they will have to face the table-toppers, BOOM Esports in their next group stage match.
ESL One Thailand 2020: Asia kicks off on 20th August and will run until September 6th. It will feature a whopping $135,000 USD in prize pool.
