Former team-mates made it difficult for our only Norwegian in the tournament.
After a long year of collecting DPC points, endless matches, tournaments and qualifiers, it was once again time for The International, where both dreams and nightmares are made into reality.
Tommy “Taiga” Le and the rest of OG have had an impressive season and were ranked as the third best team going into the tournament. During the season, the team won both ESL One Stockholm and ESL Malaysia. With all visas secured and OG in top form, the team had a good starting point.
Gave everything in the group stage
OG went 10-8 in the group stage where everyone faces everyone in a best-of-two series. The team was 8-8 before the final round, but still had hope of advancement to the upper part of the playoffs. RNG from China stood as an opponent in the last round, a team where most tested positive for Covid19 and had to struggle with both isolation and illness. OG won this match 2-0 and thus went on to fourth place.
Familiar opposition in the playoffs
OG was not the only one to qualify for The International from Europe. Tundra, who topped Group B, showed no mercy to the “regional brothers” from the continent. Tundra set the pace from the start in both games and were clearly the team that had the most control of the “meta”. With a 0-2 loss, the lower play-offs awaited OG.
Again, European opposition awaited, this time from the Gaimin Gladiators. OG looked for a long time to win 2-0, but towards the end of game two it swung in the wrong direction. OG still rallied and took the win in game three.
If the Tundra wasn’t famous enough, the next team was definitely. None other than Team Liquid, “Taiga’s” former teammates. The first match was evenly played until 25 minutes, when Liquid stepped up a notch and suffocated OG in the final minutes. Game two was unfortunately much easier but Liquid never looked back after the early lead. A lead that increased until OG gave up after 33 minutes.
The prize pool no hassle
Even though the dream of being able to lift the Aegis did not become a reality, OG takes home a solid prize money from Singapore. The team ends the tournament together with Beastcoast from South America at 7-8. place, and both teams thus take home approximately NOK 4.5 million.
Hopefully, the smile will be back next season for Tommy and his OG.
