Team Spirit Secures Top-Three Spot at Dota 2’s The International
Team Spirit continues its impressive comeback with a statement 2-1 victory over Team Liquid at Dota 2’s The International in Seattle. With this win, Team Spirit guarantees themselves a top-three spot in the hunt for their second Aegis of Champions.
Spirit dominated the series, except for game two, and seemed comfortable despite facing unique picks from Liquid. As a result, Liquid will have to continue their TI 2023 run from the lower bracket.
After the victory, Spirit’s carry player, Yatoro, confidently stated, “I think I have the best team ever.” Although he fell in map two while playing Spectre, his preferred hero among the two, he still believes in its strength compared to Chaos Knight, the hero he played in game one.
Despite Liquid’s anti-Weaver lineup in the deciding match, Yatoro showcased his skills with Weaver and overcame tough challenges posed by Disruptor, Riki, and Spectre. His performance greatly contributed to Spirit’s victory in the upper bracket final.
Yatoro demonstrated his versatility as a position one player by playing 12 different heroes out of his 16 matches in the tournament. However, he insists that the team’s collective effort was crucial in overcoming Liquid.
After the series, Yatoro expressed his gratitude to everyone supporting Team Spirit and stated, “We try hard so much and we hope you enjoy our games.”
With a flawless 10-0 group stage performance, Spirit continues to dominate their opponents. They currently hold a 14-2 record in the tournament, showcasing their deep hero pools. As a unit, Spirit appears to be tactically superior.
In game one, Spirit had a decisive victory, with Yatoro’s Chaos Knight leading the way and Collapse’s Axe controlling every fight. Liquid managed to delay their defeat with team fight wins but couldn’t turn the tide.
Liquid fought back in game two, taking 54 minutes to defeat Spirit behind Boxi’s strong performance on Muerta. However, Spirit regrouped in the third game, and with Yatoro’s Monkey King Bar nullifying Liquid’s Riki and Spectre, they secured a victory alongside other standout performances from Mira’s Invoker and Larl’s Tiny.
Spirit will face the winner of the all-Chinese match between LGD and Azure Ray in the upper bracket final to determine the East’s challenger.