OG take down Evil Geniuses and NiP at The International 2019

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One of the most highly-anticipated matchups at The International 2019 took place on day two when Evil Geniuses and OG clashed.

EG have had a rough group stage, going 1-3 on day one. OG did the opposite, going 3-1. This meeting was going to set the tone for both teams during a Group B focused day of competition and it never seemed to be in EG’s favor since OG looked dominant. 

Tal “Fly” Aizik and Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, former teammates on OG before the well-documented team break up prior to TI7, faced each other on the biggest stage once again. For fans who thought the feud between the two was behind them, the start of game one put that notion to rest. 

Before the true conflict even broke out, N0tail opened the tip menu and sent a small present to his ex-teammate. This seemingly petty move was probably nothing more than some showmanship from OG’s captain, but it sparked the Dota community’s memory of the rivalry. 

But that move must not have done much in the form of motivation for EG. Their opponents basically ran them over as soon as players began tossing attacks at each other. After a solid day one, Anathan “ana” Pham came alive to help spark an incredible OG run. 

The combo of Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen on Ember Spirit and ana’s Alchemist was too much for EG to overcome despite their best efforts. Even when they seemed to corner OG, they failed to capitalize and could only watch as OG took the series lead after just 32 minutes. 

EG had a much better start to game two, jumping out to a sizable lead and holding it for the first 19 minutes of the match. But they still had no answer for ana, this time helming Juggernaut, and they left themselves open for OG to hit them with a reversal. 

Starting at the 20-minute mark, EG and OG were trading blows and the lead kept changing hands until the Europeans finally struck gold. A quick turnaround from N0tail pushed his team forward to the high grounds where ana helped seal the deal with a Reverse Polarity to EG’s backline. 

That sealed the 2-0 win for OG. They moved on to face Ninjas in Pyjamas and had a similarly incredible series. 

In a drafting choice that shocked the fans and commentators alike, OG picked up Io, but not to play support. Instead, the extremely mobile and versatile hero was placed in ana’s hands to use however he pleased. 

NiP got off to a solid start before OG started picking up steam. The Wisp dominated the mid game once ana got the levels and items to properly boost his play. Dealing 37,505 damage to pair with Topson’s nearly unkillable Windranger, OG were able to close game one out handily. 

NiP actually held a bigger lead and pressured OG a lot more in game two, forcing them into a lot of bad positions and getting a few more key kills early. But they failed to control one major aspect of the game: ana’s Io. 

For the second-straight game, OG picked up Io to use in their strange way, and it worked for them once more. Securing their second sweep of the day behind ana’s unorthodox hero usage pushed OG into a tie for first in Group B. It was a solid day two for the reigning TI champions who sit at 7-1 before their series against Royal Never Give Up.

Unfortunately for the Dota 2 players at home, that series against NiP will likely cause an influx of Io picks in pub matches. It’s time to prepare for some out-of-position play.