Team Liquid snowball, eliminate OG from TI11

Team Liquid was prepared to face an OG team that doesn’t play to anyone’s pace but their own in an elimination series at The International 2022. However, playing at a comfortable speed only works if you can force the other team to match it—and Liquid wasn’t looking to slow roll with their tournament lives on the line. 

All the way through TI11, whether it be the LCQ, Group Stage, or now the main stage, Liquid has been one of the most dynamic teams in that they either run over their opponents or get run over. Against OG, they were the ones rolling as they claimed two 33-minute wins and eliminated their Western European rivals. 

OG got off to a slow start in game one, which allowed Liquid to control the laning phase and tempo. Zai’s Pangolier and Boxi’s prowling Marci enabled Liquid’s other players to play to their own timings heading into some dangerous midgame teamfights that they could take and turn into multiple key objectives before eventually just pushing OG back into their base with very little issue.

Game two was basically all Liquid, as they kept finding kills on OG’s backline while their opponents couldn’t lock down zai’s Broodmother—though the series win wasn’t exactly what Liquid was expecting.

“Of course I’m happy, but I felt like [OG] didn’t really get to play their best,” Boxi said. “I think the pressure kind of got to them in a way. I feel like the OG we played maybe one month ago felt stronger than this.”

Liquid would be one of the authorities on the subject of OG, as the teams have played 24 games against each other throughout the 2021-22 season if you count their 2-0 clash on the main stage. 

Related: MATUMBAMAN locks in happiness regardless of Liquid’s TI11 result

OG ends their season on a somber note, exiting TI11 in a tie for seventh place, with the organization’s new roster having matched the previous team’s TI10 finish. And, considering they blew any expectations out of the water for a rebuild when they won the Stockholm Major earlier this year, the young team can walk away proud after another strong LAN showing. 

Meanwhile, Liquid continues to outperform its own expectations. After a very mixed regular season, Liquid speedran the TI11 LCQ to earn a ticket to the big dance before battling through the group stage. Now, all of those prior results have been washed away as MATUMBAMAN, and the boys look to break into the top four against Thunder Awaken.