Team Secret are the Champions of the Pushka League Season 1
Team Secret won the Pushka League – EU & CIS regional after sweeping 3-0 against VP.Prodigy. Once again, we are given a grim reminder that Team Secret are still titans in the DOTA2 pro scene. The recent addition of Lasse Aukusti “MATUMBAMAN” Urpalainen, just made them even more fearsome. We will see if Team Secret keeps their momentum moving forward as early as tomorrow.
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Gruesome Final
The Pushka League really gave many newcomers the opportunity to shine. VP.Prodigy’s debut were welcomed with hype and expectations. Unfortunately, Team Secret are still the bigger fish in the sea.
In the grand finals, the first game was one-sided in favor of Team Secret. However, VP.Prodigy deserved some credits for pulling off several plays. Although it left a dent on Team Secret’s gold lead, it certainly wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
A Perfect Shackle onto 2 enemy carries:
It was all downhill for VP.Prodigy after game 1. In the next 2 games, they just didn’t even stood a chance as they were completely overwhelmed. It didn’t take over half an hour before VP.Prodigy had to call GG. On top of claiming the championship, both Puppey and Matumbaman were awarded as MVP Support and Core respectively, along with 5,000USD reward.
Team Secret’s run was impressive overall, they went 5-1 in the Group Stage and went all the way to the final without dropping a single game. A true testament to how confident and competent this current roster is.
VP.Prodigy’s Beginner’s Luck
The grand finals just doesn’t do justice for VP.Prodigy. What is depicted by most viewers is just Team Secret stomping over VP.Prodigy like a stepping stone. However, on an optimistic perspective, VP.Prodigy leaped out of the amateur scene with such heights. Even so, they are already on par with familiar names such as Team Liquid, Alliance and team OG. We have to remember the “junior” squad shared a group with the likes of NaVi, HellRaisers and Spirit and followed that up by beating Alliance the runner-up in Europe.
In the semifinals versus Team Liquid, VP.Prodigy successfully clutched the second game to avoid a smackdown from Liquid. Team Liquid were confident of their offensive capabilities, enough to force team fights on VP.Prodigy. Yet, VP.Prodigy turned Liquid’s aggression against themselves and miCKe gets caught too deep inside of enemy territory.
On another occasion, VP.Prodigy swept the series against Ninjas in Pyjamas. The new NIP roster has also boast decent performance as they placed fourth in the league. NIP’s cheese strategy of using Terrorblade and Pangolier as disruptive clashers were completely nullified by VP.Prodigy’s careful positioning.
A Show of Sportsmanship
Although VP.Prodigy failed to win the tourney, instead they may have won the people’s hearts. It was the semifinals between VP.Prodigy and Team Liquid. MiCKe of Team Liquid had internet issue and needed time to get it fixed. Team Liquid intended on hiring a stand-in asap. But the good folks at VP.Prodigy told their rivals that they would rather wait for Liquid’s complete roster.
The honorable act from VP.Prodigy garnered appreciation from Team Liquid’s captain, iNSaNiA, who praised his opponent for the good show of sportsmanship. Despite losing, Team Liquid players wished their opponents well in good faith.
Rising Dark Horse
With the Pushka League concluded, VP.Prodigy has also attracted many fans. Of course, everyone be looking forward to watching VP.Prodigy again. The upcoming Gamers Without Borders 2020 tournament will not feature VP.Prodigy, only the senior VP squad.
However, Team Secret and several prominent teams such as Nigma, team OG and Team Liquid, play in the same battlefield. Mark your dates on May 15th to catch them live! Do expect Secret’s Dota 2 odds to suddenly go down as they are suddenly considered favorites at tomorrows event.
We will follow up with more information about the event and other Dota news shortly.
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