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This is how OG secured their epic TI9 grand final win
OG delivered a historic run at The International 9 and the grand final was something special. This is how OG overcame Liquid to win a second championship in a row.
A battle for the ages. A match that we have seen quite a few times before, but never for stakes anywhere close to this. Today in Shanghai, two previous winners of The International, Dota 2's biggest tournament of the year, faced-off in the grand final of TI9. The winners would become the first ever two-time TI champions, the richest esports athletes ever and, of course, owners of the title of undisputed best team in the world. As Dota 2 matches go, none have been as big as this, even without $20,000,000 on the line.
TI8 champions OG faced Team Liquid in the grand final, after both teams defeated PSG.LGD to set up the all-Western final in front of a Chinese crowd. OG dominated the upper bracket, while Liquid had another incredible run through the lower bracket, meaning both teams mimicked their route to the final when they won their first TI.
As the two teams entered the arena for the final, it was clear this would be a tough battle. They know each other well, can play almost any strategy you can think of and both have multiple star players who can single handedly win a game. The anticipation in the stadium was palpable.
In game one, both teams went for some comfort heroes. OG picked up the Spectre that has served them so well in the past, most notbaly in the TI8 finals, while Liquid picked up their signature Meepo pick, something that more than a few teams have fallen victim to. The stage was set for one of the best grand finals we've ever seen and with so much on the line, it was clear neither team was going to give up easily.
Liquid had the early game and with a line-up that could push as well as team fight, they soon had a sizeable advantage over EG. Ana's Spectre did a solid job at getting the much needed farm and came online slightly later than you would perhaps want, but with Liquid's lead, things looked grim.
However, as Liquid were pushing the base around the 37 minute mark, OG managed to turn a fight and completely wiped their opponents. Buybacks were burned by Liquid, but even that wasn't enough to stop OG taking rosh and allowing Ana to play incredibly aggressive while he held the Aegis. Once that expired, though, Liquid took one fight and ran down mid to end the game. Ana waited a little too long to buy back and Liquid took the win, going 1–0 up.
Despite the loss in less than ideal circumstances, OG managed to reset and came out for game two looking as calm as they've ever done. A first pick Grimstroke, along with an Ember Spirit and Monkey King later in the draft, showed they were going to keep locking in comfort heroes. Liquid did the same, returning to the Tide and TA that they'd picked in game one, and building a line-up that should be able to take any team fight.
It was OG who ended up winning the majority of engagements however. Ana is simply too skilled on Ember Spirit and Topson too good at Monkey King. Quickly, both were at the top of the net worth charts. OG got a good advantage and never let it go, winning the game in convincing fashion to level the scores.
Game three was certainly something and any suggestion that OG still had that agonising loss from game one still in their minds was swiftly put to bed, as they game out swinging. They picked a Pugna for Topson and he took over the game. By the 15-minute mark OG were 10k gold ahead and looked near unstoppable. Although the late game power of Liquid’s roster was undeniable, OG's lead was simply too big and they ended the game swiftly. To say this was one of the most one-sided games in TI history would be an understatement and it put OG on championship point.
Liquid needed to change something and they did that at the first opportunity, choosing not to ban the Io that OG hadbeen undefeated with during the tournament. Unsurprisingly, OG first picked it, setting up the possibility that they could win TI with the strategy they invented and used to shock the competition.
Liquid played aggressively from the start, knowing that if they let the Io get any kind of lead, they'd be done for. They kept the kills coming, even diving past tier twos within the first 15 minutes. However, as Liquid started to attack the base, Io hit its power spike, OG took a big fight and then just kept running at Liquid. Eventually they were in the Liquid fountain and the GG was called. It felt like it ended within seconds of the game turning in OG's favour.
So, there you have it, OG are the first ever two-time TI champions. They've done what most thought impossible, won back-to-back TIs, and did it in convincing fashion. It feels fitting that they won the final game with Ana on the Io, the hero that he requested to the surprise of everyone, even his team, early in the tournament and then went undefeated with throughout the rest of it. Not banning that will surely cause Liquid some sleepless nights.
After the win, the emotional team celebrated with their families in front of the incredibly loud Chinese crowd, basking in the knowledge that they are now the best Dota 2 team to have ever walked the Earth.
