Team Liquid’s Incredible Run at The International 2017
Team Liquid’s performance at The International 2017 was truly historic. Despite being unexpectedly placed in the lower bracket after dominating their group stage, they embarked on an extraordinary journey that ultimately led them to victory and the coveted Aegis of Champions.
In 2017, Team Liquid had a roster that was a perfect blend of talent and experience. Led by KuroKy, the team comprised of MATUMBAMAN, Miracle-, MinD_ContRoL, and GH. However, prior to TI7, there was speculation that the team could face a split and break up. Yaroslav Vladimirovich “NS” Kuznetsov, a Dota 2 analyst from the EEU region, revealed that Team Liquid’s TI7 roster was on the verge of disbanding.
As per CyberSport.ru’s transcription, Liquid’s representatives reached out to the organizers of EPICENTER 2017, the last major event before TI7.
“Liquid expressed their desire to make player changes,” NS stated, “but they were informed that it was impossible since they had already been invited with their existing roster.”
NS further revealed that Liquid also informed EPICENTER about potential issues they might face if they were to participate with their current roster, which eventually went on to win the tournament. This triumph at EPICENTER paved the way for their subsequent triumph at TI7, solidifying the roster’s unity for another year.
However, despite finishing fourth at TI8, Team Liquid decided to part ways with MATUMBAMAN and replaced him with w33. NS believed that Matu could have been kicked before TI7 if the team had underperformed at EPICENTER 2017.
Although Team Liquid secured a second-place finish at TI9, NS considered the roster change a downgrade since Matu was at his prime during that time. The revamped roster, now known as Nigma Galaxy, reached their peak but has since struggled to qualify for another TI. In fact, they were even relegated to the second division. Meanwhile, Matu has returned to his former banner and is currently aiming for a top-four finish at TI11.
Nigma still consists of its original four players, showcasing their enduring partnership. However, they are yet to secure another TI qualification.
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