OG defeat TSM to win Stockholm Major, bag 5th Major title
OG capped off a stellar lower bracket run with an enthralling 3-1 victory over TSM in the Grand Final of ESL One Stockholm 2022.
It was, for many reasons, a championship run characteristic of the OG team that first won The International a few years ago: a ragtag roster that defied the expectations of fans, casters, and analysts alike. This was a team forced to forego the services of captain Mikhail “Misha” Agatov at the last minute, prompting the old guard to step in—Sébastien “Ceb” Debs as support and Johan “N0tail” Sundstein as coach—for another title-winning cameo. This was silverware that resulted from the unlikely combination of OG’s past, present, and future.
It's been an absolute BLAST having Live Audience Dota back 😍
We hope you enjoyed #ESLOne Stockholm!❤️ pic.twitter.com/LvtYA2rKnC
FEATURED STORIES— ESL Dota2 @ the Stockholm Major! 🐣 (@ESLDota2) May 22, 2022
But in true OG fashion, they kicked off the Grand Final by losing Game 1. TSM was superior in team draft and execution, and while OG managed to keep things even by the end of the laning stage, their house of cards came crashing down as soon as the first major teamfight happened. Enzo “Timado” Gianoli O’Connor’s Wraith King was unkillable while Jonáš “SabeRLight-” Volek’s Death Prophet melted towers with ease in a game that ended after 30 minutes.
OG returned the favor in Game 2 by capitalizing on TSM’s risky choice for position 1: Nature’s Prophet. A highly mobile core lineup of Artem “Yuragi” Golubiev on Monkey King, Bozhidar “bzm” Bogdanov on Storm Spirit, and Ammar “ATF” Al-Assaf on Nightstalker gave the North American team no space to breathe. With two one-sided stomps now out the way, the stage was set for Game 3 to be a nail-biter.
What a game! @OGesports secures Game 3 against @TSM and are now 1 win away from being Champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/V6r9XExXUf
— ESL Dota2 @ the Stockholm Major! 🐣 (@ESLDota2) May 22, 2022
And it delivered. Game 3 was by far the closest game in the entire series with multiple major networth swings in favor of both sides but a catastrophic, drawn-out teamfight in the Dire Jungle at the 40-minute mark left four TSM heroes dead without buyback. SabeRLight- desperately tried cutting the creep wave to stall for time but OG marched on to secure championship point.
The young guns of OG took no chances in Game 4 and took the early-game initiative in all three lanes. ATF’s Mars, most notably, absolutely bodied Timado’s Wraith King in the bottom lane while rotations in other areas of the map gave TSM no chance of finding a foothold in the game. The latter half of the match seemed like a formality at some point. OG steadily increased their lead, leaving no hopes for a Game 5.
Congratulations to @OGesports, our #ESLOne Stockholm Champions! 👏 pic.twitter.com/zR0EXRxHXP
— ESL Dota2 @ the Stockholm Major! 🐣 (@ESLDota2) May 22, 2022
With their Stockholm Major win, OG add a record fifth Major title to their storied trophy cabinet. They also take home $200,000 USD and 680 DPC points to bring their total up to 1140, virtually cementing their place in TI11 in Singapore. TSM, on the other hand, fly back with $100,000 USD and TI11 tickets of their own.
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