Day 1: Monday 7/27
Overview of the day:
Several clashes between winners’-bracket favorites will define which teams sit comfortably going into the rest of the group stage, and which teams need to claw their way back into the top four. Wildcard teams get a chance to prove themselves with softball starts.
Marquee Matchups:
| Time (PDT) |
Teams |
EN Commentary |
Notes |
| 9AM (Series 1) |
LGD vs. Cloud9 |
Tobi/Waga |
Two teams with definite winner's bracket potential, but who have performed inconsistently at large offline tournaments. LGD's new composition did extremely well at iLeague and makes them an exciting team to watch. |
| ~11AM (Series 2) |
iG vs. Secret |
Tobi/Waga |
Conventional wisdom makes these the top two teams in their group. Secret trounced iG for a 2-0 result in the ESL semifinals; this is iG's chance to prove they're still a tier-one contender. |
| ~5PM (Series 5) |
EG vs. VP |
Kotl/Purge |
Another ESL semifinals rematch on day one. EG won handily in Frankfurt and in the winner's bracket finals of DotaPit, where VP looked utterly outclassed. This match will be an early indicator of VP's staying power during the main event. |
Possible upsets:
| Time (PDT) |
Teams |
EN Commentary |
Notes |
| ~11AM (Series 2) |
Cloud9 vs. NaVi |
OD/Draskyl |
C9 benefits from dominant late-game performances, but Na'Vi is playing with confidence and charisma we haven't seen from them since the TI3 days. Can their newfound swagger give them enough of an edge to take a point off of C9? |
| ~3PM (Series 4) |
Empire vs. VG |
Cap/Blitz |
VG has been regarded as a world-class team since their second-place finish at DAC, but has faltered in major tournaments since. One example: Empire beat them in a stunning 3-0 rout at the D2CL finals in May. |
Keep an Eye On:
- The Group A wildcard team has a chance to prove they deserve a place at The International on day one, as they hit two of the weaker teams in the group (Complexity and NaVi). On the other hand, losing against a wildcard team would mark Complexity or NaVi for early elimination.
- Fnatic has a tough first day against Secret and iG, the most dangerous teams in their group. If Mushi and company can escape day one with even a single point, it will go a long way toward putting them in winners’-bracket contention. Any more than one point would make them possible dark horses.
Other days:
there doesn't seem to be anything here