Battered OG prevail after dramatic comeback vs. Secret at ESL One Los Angeles Online

OG swept Secret 2-0 today at the ESL One Los Angeles Online Dota 2 event in two polar opposite matches. The first game was an utter stomp, while the second game’s extraordinary turnaround could be easily made into a blockbuster movie with minimal edits to the script.

For game one, Secret drafted the powerful Keeper of the Light and Bristleback combo to try and take control of early affairs and snowball their advantage. But OG were completely prepared in the draft. OG picked up a position four Pugna as a direct lane counter, skilling Nether Ward to prevent Quill Spray spam. Necrophos was also taken to more easily bring down Secret’s tanky cores. 

Secret’s cause wasn’t helped with SumaiL getting off to a hot start on Void Spirit. All three of OG’s cores found themselves on top in the laning phase. Secret were unable to even get the wheels turning on their machine and conceded within 20 minutes.

Game two was the best bout of the tournament so far. It started as a fairly cookie-cutter match. Just like OG had crushed game one, it looked like Secret were about to execute the same.

It was all going to plan for Puppey’s squad. They made slow, methodical pushes to choke OG out—the proper procedure to close out a match against any standard team.

As if people needed a reminder, OG have not and will continue to refuse to be a standard team.

It began with small victories. They picked off one of Secret’s cores by committing all five heroes to the cause. OG sneaked two Roshans with the Chen army. They incessantly needled Secret’s sides, constantly reminding Puppey’s team that OG might be down but they definitely weren’t out.

As a desperate gambit, SumaiL decided to queue the third item Divine Rapier, unflinchingly buying the Demon Edge. Fortune favored the bold and OG’s brave undertaking was sparked with a Paladin Sword drop that set the stage for the ensuing spiral of events. 

While it was likely that SumaiL would have bought the Rapier anyway, the Paladin Sword’s lifesteal and sustain potential synergized greatly with the bevy of healing OG had drafted, like the core Chen and support Pugna.

So, SumaiL bought his first Divine Rapier.

OG had accomplished step one: drag the game long enough for their sole hard carry to buy a potentially game-winning item. Executing it was a tall task, though.

Secret decided that OG’s meddling had to be stopped. Finally managing to take Roshan for themselves at 38 minutes, Secret decided that it was now or never with a fully decked-out MATUMBAMAN Phantom Lancer.

Rushing down the bot lane, Secret threw everything and the kitchen sink at SumaiL. Heroic efforts were extended from SumaiL’s supporting cast. Stuns were thrown to stop Secret in their tracks. Saksa’s Pugna put his body on the line, Decrepifying, Life Draining, and healing SumaiL at every turn. 

In the end, the Gyrocopter stood. The entire Secret roster did not. The pinprick light at the end of the tunnel burst into a divine bloom for OG.

Secret recovered slightly, taking the bottom lane of barracks at the second try. Yet, daunted by the Gyrocopter, Secret reverted to the playbook.

Then, SumaiL bought his second Divine Rapier.

OG drove Secret away from the top lane and their last remaining set of barracks. SumaiL briefly stopped for a Heart of Tarrasque, amplifying the health regeneration even further. Now, the Gyrocopter resembled the Terminator more than a rickety old flying machine.

SumaiL stood tall and strong. Secret had no choice but to engage with him banging on the door. Secret still had an immense 32,000 net worth lead, but it was a pittance to the Gyrocopter. By the end of a minute-long fight, it had been evaporated to 19,000.

Finally, SumaiL bought his third Divine Rapier.

Secret watched. Well, not really—they tried to cast every spell on the monstrous Gyrocopter again. But they might as well have been watching since SumaiL’s health bar reduced by a fraction before the healing brought him back to full.

This was just round one of the upper bracket at the ESL One Los Angeles Online. But the iron-tight gameplay and never-say-die attitude on display here, in spite of two stand-ins and SumaiL playing on heightened ping from North America, were once in a lifetime.

Not for OG, though. Not for OG.

The two-time The International champions move on to face Virtus Pro in the next round of the upper bracket. Secret drop down to the lower bracket and will clash against Vikin.gg