The International 2016: Group Stages Day 2 - Recap and Highlights

Team Secret

Puppey’s Chen and Arteezy’sHuskar look like they’ve run out of steam. Team Secret played three series’ (six games) today and they lost every single one of them! This puts the squad on a seven-game losing streak and at second from the bottom of the Group B table. The squad can rack up a maximum of 4 more wins tomorrow in their games versus Newbee and Team Liquid but considering both teams are sitting pretty in the top 4 spots in the group, it seems almost certain that Team Secret will begin their run at the main event in the lower bracket.

Secret VS Ehome: 0-2

Secret VS Fnatic : 0-2

Secret VS Digital Chaos : 0-2

MVP Phoenix

The South Koreans seem to have stuttered a bit today. No 2-0 victories were written in their fates as they started the day off with a 1-1 tie with Team Liquid, a 2-0 loss to Ehome followed by another 1-1 tie to Vici Gaming Reborn. MVP Phoenix fans can take solace in the fact that they went blow for blow with one of the favourites of this tournament – Team Liquid, however, a 2-0 loss to Ehome bodes ill for the team. VGR and MVP are now tied at 4 wins and 6 losses each at the 5th and 6th spots.

MVP VS Team Liquid : 1-1

MVP VS Ehome : 0-2

MVP VS VGR : 1-1

Vici Gaming Reborn

VGR ended their losing spree from day 1 by securing a game 1 win versus Digital Chaos. While that series ended in a 1-1 tie, the Chinese squad went on to demolish Team Liquid 2-0 in their next series. VGR has been pulling out heroes like the Skywrath mage and the Undying on occasion and for now it seems to be working for them. Their final series of the day ended in a 1-1 draw versus MVP Phoenix, however, day 2 has been a much better showing from VGR considering they didn’t win a single match on day 1!

VGR VS Digital Chaos : 1-1

VGR VS Team Liquid : 2-0

VGR VS MVP Phoenix : 1-1

Digital Chaos

The weather is looking fine in Seattle for w33 and co. Digital Chaos have demolished the majority of their competitors in Group B and with a tally of 8 wins and 2 losses, they’re sitting pretty at the second spot in Group B. They dropped the first game of the day to Vici Gaming Reborn but thereafter proceeded to win every single game they played versus Newbee and Team Secret. A 2-0 victory versus Team Secret should come as a moment of catharsis for former Secret players W33 and Misery. They are now one victory away from confirming their slot in the upper bracket of the main event.

DC VS VGR: 1-1

DC VS Newbee : 2-0

DC VS Team Secret : 2-0

Team Liquid

Team Liquid have had a mediocre performance in Group B and if they want to secure that coveted upper bracket slot, they’re going to have to work for it. After a 1-1 draw versus MVP Phoenix, Team Liquid got shutout by Vici Gaming Reborn and then proceeded to redeem themselves with a 2-0 victory over Fnatic. Tomorrow they face Team Secret and Digital Chaos, none of which are confirmed victories for the boys in blue.

Liquid VS MVP Phoenix : 1-1

Liquid VS VGR : 0-2

Liquid VS Fnatic : 2-0

Newbee

Newbee are in a situation similar to that of Team Liquid. Both teams are tied for the 3rd and 4th spots in the groups and will have to secure confirmed victories to avoid losing their slots to VGR and MVP Phoenix for the upper bracket of the main event. Newbee started the day by decimating Fnatic 2-0 in sub 30-minute games. Karma came around twofold as Digital Chaos and Ehome then proceeded to give them a 0-2 thrashing in their following matches. Day 3 will witness Newbee facing Team Secret and MVP Pheonix.

Newbee VS Fnatic: 2-0

Newbee VS Digital Chaos: 0-2

Newbee VS Ehome: 0-2

Ehome

It’s been a dream run for Ehome so far. After a win in the wildcards, they’ve been crushing everyone that stands in their way. Ehome has not lost a single game today and are the only team to now have a confirmed slot at the upper bracket of the main event at The International 2016! They’ve racked up 9 wins with only 1 loss so far and tomorrow they play Vici Gaming Reborn and Digital Chaos in what could be considered as nothing more than practice games for the squad.Ehome are living the CDEC dream and if they keep this up, they could be the second wildcard team in TI history to make it all the way to the grand finals.

Ehome VS Newbee: 2-0

Ehome VS Team Secret: 2-0

Ehome VS MVP Phoenix: 2-0

Fnatic

Fnatic’s run through the group stage was looking like a TI3 MUFC run all over again. However, they managed to change their fate with a 2-0 victory versus Team Secret. They started the day with a 0-2 loss to Newbee and ended on an equally low note with a 0-2 loss to Team Liquid. The SEA Dota 2 squad is almost certain to start in the lower bracket of the main event. Tomorrow they face Vici Gaming Reborn and MVP Phoenix however even if they win all 4 games, their fates rely on their opponents losing their games.

Fnatic VS Newbee : 0-2

Fnatic VS Team Secret : 2-0

Fnatic VS Team Liquid : 0-2

EG and OG sit atop Group A comfortably while Wings, Alliance, TNC, LGD and Navi are all in the running for the remaining two Upper Bracket slots. Group B has been highly unpredictable and we find Wildcard winners Ehome and NA side Digital Chaos at the top. Liquid and Newbee should also be making top 4 if all goes to plan but if MVP Phoenix or Team Secret decide to show up, it could make for a very exciting final day.