Day 2 of the Main Event started out with a relatively quick series between EHOME and Alliance that only lasted two games, and finished up with the Newbee-Evil Geniuses match-up that was also over in two but went on a little longer than the first.
EHOME ran away with the first game, putting iceiceice on Juggernaut and old chicken on Mirana to match up against Loda’s Drow Ranger and s4’s Storm Spirit. The Chinese team steamrolled their Swedish counterparts, forcing battle after battle and taking them all decisively. Loda was unable to keep up, and AdmiralBulldog’s Bristleback couldn’t handle old eleven and LaNm on Sand King and Undying bringing their huge team-fight presence to bear. After 36 minutes Alliance conceded, leaving the score 22-6.
Alliance played a little better in game two, but AdmiralBulldog just could not find his footing on Lone Druid, an abnormally weak showing by the usual rock Alliance centres around. On the opposite side, old eleven took his Sand King right into Alliance, making all kinds of space for iceiceice’s Sven and old chicken’s Mirana to shred their way through the Swedish side that couldn’t put together a kill in the last thirteen minutes. 36 minutes was the final time again, as the game ended 33-14. EHOME advance on to play the winner of Evil Geniuses and Newbee, while Alliance will have to face Fnatic in the Loser’s Bracket Round 2 tomorrow morning.
Newbee started off their draft without banning Storm Spirit, a hero that has not won yet this tournament. ppd was more than happy to pick Suma1L his signature and most effective hero, and the young superstar proved that, even with a year’s worth of nerfs both direct and indirect, he can still absolutely dominate any match up. 15-1-5 later, the space making plays, the next level pickoffs, and the team fight gangbusters all piled up into a net worth advantage that Fear and Universe, on Sven and Batrider, used to pick apart and tear down kpii’s Slardar, Hao’s Slark, and Mu’s underperforming Dragon Knight. After 31 minutes and only 9 kills to 25, Newbee called “GG” as Fear razed down their bottom barracks.
Game two went much, much later, with the brawling finding a close after 70 minutes. Mu’s Alchemist achieved over 1100 Gold Per Minute, the highest so far this tournament, and kept his team high up on the net worth chart. Hao on Lifestealer had issues making use of the space created, however, and Suma1L forced his Timbersaw into the cracks of the Chinese squad. Team fight after team fight, Mu would get very close to killing Fear’s Morphling and Universe’s Faceless Void, but when the dust settled, Suma1L had torn up ChuaN and kaka on Oracle and Skywrath Mage, and even kpii had trouble staying alive as Sand King. Ultimately, the well farmed Mu couldn’t stay far enough ahead of Suma1L and Fear, and Newbee conceded after 70 as EG once again stormed the bottom barracks, leaving the game at 47-36. EG will continue on to play EHOME tomorrow in the Winner’s Bracket Semi-Finals, while Newbee will end up playing Team Liquid after Alliance and Fnatic finish up tomorrow.
