Team Secret continued their undefeated run at the OGA Dota PIT Online today with a 2-0 win over Alliance in the first round of the upper bracket. This victory also marks Secret’s 14th series win in a row.
Alliance have been the only team to take a match off of Secret in the past 30 games, stealing a game in the Gamers Without Borders charity tournament. While Secret ended up winning with a clean sweep today, both squads were evenly matched in two back-and-forth matches.
The first game saw Alliance get off to a hot start courtesy of their mid laner’s iconic hero, Templar Assassin. Limmp managed to solo kill Nisha’s Storm Spirit in the lane.
Secret stabilized the situation swiftly, however, never allowing Limmp to get out of control. Secret maintained the farm rates on their cores, with zai putting his Timbersaw in multiple dangerous situations and escaping by the skin of his teeth most of the time.
The game state was on a knife’s edge as the two teams constantly traded fights. Secret started decisively winning fights after multiple Heaven’s Halberd and an Aghanim’s Scepter was purchased on Nisha. Secret gained a reliable source of crowd control as well as consistently disarming Limmp, preventing him from doling out damage.
Secret won fights by outlasting their opponents with spells like Wraith King’s Reincarnation, whittling down Alliance’s Black King Bars’ and resources before committing their ultimates. Alliance were unable to keep up in the resource race and conceded after a grueling game.
Game two saw Nisha uncharacteristically feeding first blood again thanks to a well-timed snipe from Alliance’s Clockwerk and his Rocket Flare. Secret’s two other cores followed with deaths, but as usual, Secret remained unfazed and continued their gameplan. With Enigma and Earthshaker on their side, the European titans were the kings of the teamfight.
Likewise, Alliance had their own teamfight ultimates with Death Prophet and Kunkka. Whenever each team’s big spells came off cooldown, they found themselves constantly posturing and trading key heroes. But Secret had the more reliable push with Lycan and Enigma, gradually chipping away at Alliance’s base.
While Alliance continued to flash glimpses of their potential, Secret’s preternatural ability to choke out their opponents came into play yet again. Secret continued to accrue a net worth lead and Alliance were eventually suffocated by their opponents’ advantage in items from every hero.
Secret will move on to the next round of the tournament and face two-time The International champions OG, who beat Ninjas in Pyjamas in a highly-anticipated matchup earlier today.
Related: Battered OG prevail after dramatic comeback vs. Secret at ESL One Los Angeles Online
The two European titans clash in the upper bracket finals tomorrow, scheduled to start at 1pm CT.
