Cover-Credits:
The International 2022 (TI11) continued to provide entertainment as Team Secret defeated heavy favorites PSG.LGD 2-0 in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. The Western European team were on a roll, as it managed to qualify for the group stages from the Last Chance Qualifiers and qualified for the Main Event playoffs in the upper bracket.
While PSG.LGD were heavily favored to win the series, Team Secret ended up providing the second upset of the day after Thunder Awaken had beaten Evil Geniuses in the first match of the day.
Team Secret vs Secret: Match recap
While PSG.LGD had an overall good Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) season, its early start to the TI11 Group was abysmal as it lost to Evil Geniuses & drew against multiple teams such as Hokori & Soniqs however the team managed to regain momentum in the later days.
On the opposite side, Team Secret underperformed during the season however multiple roster changes saw the team picking up form after the Regional Qualifiers as the team managed to qualify for TI11 from the Last Chance Qualifier and managed to secure an upper bracket slot from Group B with a 13-5 win loss ratio during the group stage.
Game One
PSG.LGD went for a fairly aggressive draft, as it picked up Lone Druid for Wang "Ame" Chunyu and Pangolier for Cheng "NothingToSay" Jin Xiang while Secret went for a carry Dawnbreaker for Remco "Crystallis" Arets and an offlane Silencer for Roman "Resolut1on" Fomynok.
While Secret’s draft looked weird, it turned out well as Secret dominated the game from the laning phase as Crystallis’s Dawnbreaker went on a killing spree. While PSG.LGD tried to delay the game long enough for Ame’s Lone Druid to reach his late-game potential, Secret’s aggression was unmatched as they claimed Game One in just over 23 minutes.
Game Two
For Game Two, Secret wanted to keep its momentum from Game One by picking up Marci for Resolution and Leshrac for Michał "Nisha" Jankowski while retaining Crystallis’s Dawnbreaker. PSG.LGD on the other hand, went for Monkey King, Zeus and Death Prophet as its core lineup.
The laning phase went in favor of PSG.LGD, as NothingToSay’s Zeus and Ame’s Monkey King managed to pick off Secret’s heroes on several occasions. However going into the mid-game phase, Secret had the upper hand as its aggressive lineup was constantly pushing objectives and kills all over the map.
Despite PSG.LGD’s attempts to come back, Secret ended up completing the upset as it claimed Game Two after 50 minutes.
Following the victory, Team Secret guaranteed itself a top six finish at this year’s International and will face Thunder Awaken in the Upper Bracket Semifinals. PSG.LGD on the other hand, will be dropped into the Lower Bracket as it awaits its opponent from the Boom Esports vs Team Spirit series.
