Main event predictions

Secret vs SG 2-0

When GrandGrant and I were doing predictions, we talked about SG at length and he asked me if I thought SG could win 2 games in the whole event. I told him yes but unfortunately it's not looking good. SG showed off a huge win when they took a game off of OG at the start, but they haven't won since and they now face against one of the best looking teams at Kiev. I wish you the best SG but 2-0 seems obvious.

Thunderbirds vs EG 2-1

One of the hardest matchups to predict. We don't really know what kind of EG is going to show up for main event and to some extent, the same can be said of Thunderbirds. Considering the lack of officials from both sides it could be these two teams are suffering from behind in the meta but we will see if either one of them learns from the exposure in group stage and goes into the main event better teams than they came into the tournament. For now, TB seems slightly better and I think they know how to match up against EGs greed but all bets are off.

TNC vs Faceless 2-0

Fucking TNC. Of course they have to face Faceless in the main event. I firmly believe that TNC is the much better team but I know Faceless seems to be a Kryptonite for them. Either way, I’m still going to back them heavily here. They’re easily a top 8 team at Kiev if not top 4 and if they just continue to play with what they’ve been showing us, they’ve got this series in the bag.

OG vs Wings 2-0

Most knew Wings was not going to be the most formidable opponent at Kiev. That said, they've shown they aren't completely shadows of what they once were. They've got some strength in them still but this isn't their tournament. Maybe they'll be back in shape for TI. Gotta give it to one of the most consistently dominant teams in DotA.

VP vs IG.V 2-0

Ever since my research for the Starladder LAN, I've been a huge fan of the IG sister squads. They had a similar style back then with IG just being a bit more dominant, but that skill gap has grown quite a bit. Dogf1ghts and Paparazzi are world-class players still but this team won't be good enough to stop VPs run. VP is good. I'm not convinced of them being top 4 yet team despite their rankings from the group stage.

DC vs VG.J 2-0

A weird match up for sure. I wasn't a fan of Freeze when I first saw him but he's growing on me. That said, this lineup isn't clicking yet, even with all this star power. Meanwhile, all 4 of the teams that DC had to face were arguably top 8 (with Liquid being the one potentially lower) and walked away with very respectable records. Going through the American qualifiers may seem like a joke to some, but by beating those teams they proved they have the skill to match up against the best. The only question for Kiev was whether or not they could be consistent. They've certainly shown that so far, finding ways to unlock Abeds carry game after game.

IG vs Mouz 2 - 1

If I was really biased for a team, it’d be mouz. Casting Mouz is like casting the old Power Rangers or Revenge for me. There’s something special about casting & watching a full team grow from tier 3 to tier 1 over time. That said, the analyst in me says Mouz don’t stand much of a chance against IG. The single elimination format favored them in Boston but this time they’ll feel it’s unforgiving nature. IG have a better understanding of how to draft and win late games which puts Mouz in an awkward position. Even if they try and go back to a more aggressive teamfight style that we saw at Boston, IG will still outfight them.

NEWBEE vs Liquid 2-1

I’m not sure but I think all these predictions have gone with the "favorite" based on the results and this one won’t be any different. Apparently NEWBEE felt like other teams were ahead in the meta at DAC and it seems like they are at Kiev too. That said, NEWBEE always adapt well and they will have learned from the group stage games and scrims following. Liquid meanwhile still seem lost as a team. Much like EG, everyone recognizes the potential of the team, but the puzzle of how these cores & support players interact with each other has yet to be fully solved for this meta. NEWBEE may not feel like championship team, but they’re always a strong contender for being finalists.