Stockholm Major 2022 Day 2 Recap: T1, Tundra go atop Group A, Mind Games Disqualified

It was another eventful day at the ESL One Stockholm Dota 2 Major 2022 with high octane action from teams in both Group A and Group B but unfortunately for Mind Games, the team had to be disqualified because of "continuing visa issues." As a result, no other team will be eliminated from Group B, and the teams will now be vying for a berth in the upper bracket of the playoffs. The race for that looks rather heated, as seen by the group stage, with Team Spirit dominating the field at the moment. Group A had a fascinating day of play with the highlight being OG, who had a wonderful first day, crumbling on the second day. Here's a look at what happened on day 2 of the ESL One Stockholm Major 2022 group stage, as well as the teams’ standing in the points table.

ESL One Stockholm Major 2022: Day 2 at a glance

Group A

T1 and Tundra Esports stand out on day 2

T1 matched its 2-0 victory against Evil Geniuses on day one with another flawless showing on day two, winning 2-0 against OG. On the first day, even OG had looked strong, but T1, led by Karl "Karl" Matthew Baldovino in the midlane on Lina and Puck, outplayed the Western European squad.

In the second series of the day, beastcoast dealt T1 its first loss of the event, but the latter bounced back in the next game with a seemingly highly effective tri-core of Dragon Knight, Batrider, and Queen of Pain to equalize the series 1-1.

In a similar way to T1, Tundra Esports had a successful outing on day 2. Starting off with a 1-1 draw against BetBoom Team, the day ended with a crushing 2-0 win over OG. It was particularly impressive that Tundra was significantly ahead in both the drafting and execution against OG which allowed it to close out the Bo2 series in less than an hour. Tundra has looked like the most formidable squad in Group A based on the events of the first two days, and its match against T1 should be highly entertaining.

OG falters after day 1 excellence

While the first day was favorable for OG, the second day was a disaster. During the games, it was unable to have a big impact as Tundra and T1 were both much better squads both individually and as a whole. The limitations of a stand-in began to show during various moments in the games. Despite finishing the first day on top of the table, the team now sits in the bottom two positions after the end of day two.

Group B

Team Spirit and Team Liquid make their presence felt

At the end of day one, Gaimin Gladiators dominated Team Spirit, and the first game on day 2 against TSM was no different, as Spirit looked lackluster in comparison to its competitors. In spite of this setback, the International 10 title holders were not going to back down, as they won three in a row. A victory over TSM in the second game followed by two more wins against Thunder Awaken in the second series brought the second day to a close with a 7-3 score and first place in the points table for Team Spirit

Team Liquid had a similar experience to Team Spirit on the second day. As Liquid had lost 2-0 to Thunder Awaken on the first day and then was behind 1-0 to Fnatic at the start of the second day, it seemed like the team was on the verge of collapse. However, the team, with all its experience, recovered and won three straight games. A hard-fought win over Fnatic was followed by two impressive performances against the in-form Gladiators, resulting in a 2-0 victory. On the second day of the Stockholm Major, Liquid showed its strength by bringing some comfort heroes to the fore.

Mind Games was sadly disqualified from the Major due to visa concerns, becoming the event's first team to be eliminated. “Due to continuing VISA issues, we have made the difficult decision to disqualify Mind Games from the #ESLOne Stockholm Dota Major,” ESL wrote on Twitter. “As a result all Group B teams will receive automatic byes,” it added.

Both groups now have their own tales to narrate over the next two days of the group stage. It's chaotic in Group A right now in terms of elimination, and based on the current rankings, it appears that Evil Geniuses is on its way out, which would be a shocking outcome. The fight for the upper bracket places in Group B is now on, and with all six remaining teams displaying hints of both quality and vulnerability, it will be an exciting battle to watch.