Contrary to expectations, Team Spirit finds itself at the bottom of the Dota 2 competition in the Elite League 2024’s group stage. It is an outcome that has caught many by surprise given the team’s history and capabilities in the scene.
Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov (Image Credits: SL i-League Invitational Season 4)
In light of Team Spirit’s disappointing performance, the team’s Dota 2 manager, Dmitriy “Korb3n” Belov, opted not to make public comments on the team’s recent poor performance.
“Listen, I would love to jump to Nix’s stream, but at least when we win a couple of games,” said Korb3n. “Currently, I can only make excuses, but I don’t want to just make excuses. And at the moment, many questions remain open with my team. Therefore, it would be weird to discuss things with a smart face when your own house is on fire.”
Despite a challenging series of matches, Team Spirit managed to secure one victory against Team OG during the Elite League 2024, which support player Miroslav “Mira” Kolpakov attributes to improved discipline.
Miroslav “Mira” Kolpakov (Image Credits: Team Spirit)
Mira shared insights in a post-match interview, acknowledging the team’s previous struggles but also expressing optimism that they know they can indeed improve. He pointed out the team’s ability to gain an early lead in games and emphasized the necessity of addressing minor issues related to teamwork and discipline.
Mira also noted Team Spirit’s better draft in their second map against OG, which played a crucial role in their victory by dictating the pace of the game. This win over OG has provided Team Spirit with a glimmer of hope for advancing further into the Elite League. However, the stakes are high on their performance in upcoming matches against Azure Ray and PSG Quest.
Frankly, beating Azure Ray will be an uphill battle, considering they are phenomenal in recent tournaments, including Elite League Dota 2. They will have a better chance of beating PSG Quest, but we will just have to watch the match.
Team Spirit defeats Team OG (Image Credits: Elite League)
The year 2024 has been challenging for Team Spirit, with the team not achieving high placements in significant tournaments since their victory at the International 2023. Their recent performances include finishing fourth at DreamLeague S22 and fifth at BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024. In these tournaments, Team Spirit’s crippling issue wasn’t too visible to the average viewer, especially considering Team Falcons, the new powerhouse has been hoarding the spotlight as the new champion.
Team Spirit’s performance issue can really spiral out of control if it goes on because it is already affecting their potential participation at crucial tournaments. Their failure to qualify for DreamLeague S23, a key event in the ESL Pro Tour (EPT) circuit, has further complicated their probability of securing a spot at the Riyadh Masters 2024.
For the uninitiated, Team Spirit lost to tier-B opponents in the Eastern European regional qualifier, such as Natus Vincere and 1win. Hence, it’s a telltale sign of a severe problem in Team Spirit’s strategy that needs to be resolved.
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