Dota 2: Chongqing Major Day One Recap

Virtus.pro, EHOME, PSG.LGD & Team Secret advance to the Upper Bracket.

Day One of the first Major for 2019 saw Group A and B compete in several exciting matchups to advance into the Upper Bracket. Group A and B began and concluded on Day One, while Group C and D will showcase some of the highest quality matchups on Day Two.

Group A

VP and TNC Predator came away victorious in their first matches versus EHOME and Chaos Esports Club, respectively.

The match between VP and EHOME lived up to the hype because we witnessed a lot of back and forth action. Game one saw pretty standard picks as VP went with their signature Dusa + Sven combo against OD and Visage for the Chinese. Despite having a pretty good lineup on paper, VP failed to secure enough space and farm for their two greedy cores, which resulted in a quick 28-minute victory for the Bucharest Minor champions.

Having their backs against the wall, VP went all in with Magnus and Juggernaut plus No[o]nes’ OD to go along with them. EHOME tried to respond by getting Huskar, however, their plan failed shortly, and VP grabbed the second game.

Having the moral advantage, the CIS powerhouse went into game three with a Dusa + Jugg combo. The Chinese saw that and instantly countered Dusa with an Antimage pick. Things were going well for them, but after several unsuccessful attempts to gain a significant advantage, VP’s power was too much, and GG was called.

The next match between TNC and Chaos Esports Club was not as close as the first match of the day. Game one saw a classic mid matchup between SF and TA, which felt like a throwback from a few years ago. In the end, TNC did what was expected them and snatched the opening game.

The second game was even less contested as TNC quickly stomped their South American enemies with a 22 min victory, utilizing their Magnus + PA combo.

TNC had little opportunity to rest as their next match against VP began shortly after the conclusion of their first match. The team from the CIS region once again chose to go with a Dusa pick, while TNC chose the pubgame nightmare – Slark. Both teams had their chances, but after a decisive fight around the Rosh pit and a dieback from Dusa, game one went in favor of TNC.

Game two saw another classic for VP – Terrorblade for Ramzess. He has proven many times that, given the excellent position to farm, he is able to carry his team to victory. And so it happened. 25 minutes in GG was called, and we were in for a game three, where VP seemed unstoppable. After a bad item choice for TNC and a quick Aegis for Ramzess, Virtus.pro punished their enemies and secured themselves the first place finish in Group A.

Years go by and Virtus Pro continues to be Virtus Pro with big performances at Majors. They claim the top seed of Group A and advance to the Playoffs. @dotasltv #ChongqingMajor #DPC #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/wddv7jgXbj

— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) January 19, 2019

EHOME won their first series of the Major, taking out Chaos Esports and setting up a match between the Chinese and TNC to determine who would advance to the Upper Bracket.

The Decider match was a true massacre, especially in the first game, where we saw tons of back and forth action. In the end, Shadow Fiend and Luna were able to deal with the Anti-mage and secured the first game for EHOME.

TNC went all in with a Terrorblade in the second game of the series, hoping to survive. Little did they know, the enemy Medusa decided to build a somewhat unorthodox double butterfly, which proved to be strong against the lineup of TNC, resulting in a win and a second place in the group for EHOME.

Group B

Group B's matches on Day One proved to be more entertaining than those of Group A.

In the opening match, Team Secret faced Thunder Predator, and it went pretty much as expected. The first game was a quick 19 minute warm up, while game two was a bit more contested. In the end, Team Secret started out 1-0 in Group B.

PSG.LGD battled Forward Gaming in the next match that finished in and exciting three games. FG managed to get the first win in the series due to Juggernaut, who was just too big to handle. However, PSG.LGD did not go down without a fight, and they went full “davai” with a classic PA + Razor pick, forcing the decisive game in the series.

In the third game, Forward Gaming again went with a DK pick, hoping to have the same success as in the first game, however, LGD had other things planned – Maybe’s Puck. The Chinese superstar was on top of his game and led his team to victory and a 1-0 start in their group.

After both teams began the group at 1-0, Team Secret vs. LGD competed in what was the most interesting match of the day. These teams have met many times before, and it has always been a crazy roller coaster of tactics, individual plays, and team play.

The first game began relatively slow, as both teams decided to play safe. LGD had a counter-pick for that Timbersaw in the face of Pugna, who did an outstanding job at making the life of Secret a living hell. After several lousy team fights for the Europeans, GG was called 30 minutes into the game, and the Chinese grabbed the first game.

Facing defeat, Puppey did a comfortable draft for his team while LGD went with a tanky lineup including Medusa and Sven. On paper, Secret looked to be the favorites, but LGD played outstanding and clinched a well-deserved first place finish in Group B.

TI8 Runners PSG LGD seem in good shape as they claim the top seed of Group B at The Chongqing Major. They secure a slot in the Upper Bracket of the Playoffs. Congrats. @dotasltv #DPC #ChongqingMajor #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/sLkeKZcyFO

— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) January 19, 2019

The Loser’s match was more interesting than people expected because there was a lot of back and forth action. In the end, Forward Gaming was able to close out the series with a 2-1 victory, heading into the Decider match against Team Secret.

The first game between them went in favour of the Europeans after a somewhat back and forth game, where both teams made many mistakes. Going in to game two, Secret was looking to pick comfortable heroes to secure that second place. However, Forward Gaming played a very solid game and was able to shut down MidOne while empowering Resolut1ions’ Terrorblade, forcing a decisive third game.

Game three was all in for both of the teams. Playing their most “secure” heroes, both teams did their best to succeed. In the end, Team Secret was victorious and secured second place in Group B, advancing to the Upper Bracket.

GGs to @goFORWARDgg!

We take the series 2-1 at the #ChongqingMajor and advance on to play in the Main Event Upper Bracket! #SecretFighting pic.twitter.com/CrqBNbCnbs

— Team Secret (@teamsecret) January 19, 2019

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