Team Spirit went from the underdogs to beware of to the champions of TI10, bringing the Aegis home to the CIS region for the first time since 2011.
Less than a week ago, Team Spirit stunned the Dota 2 community by defeating the TI10 tournament favorites, PSG.LGD, 3-2 in the grand finals and took home the Aegis and $18.21 million. It was the first time a CIS-based team/organization has taken home the trophy since the first International held in Germany in 2011.
They were the underdog to some, the dark horse (or dragons) to others. We've seen it before with Digital Chaos securing runner-up and Wings Gaming claiming the championship title at The International 2016. With OG taking the championship title at The International(s) 2018 and 2019.
But when it happens, it never fails to sweep the fans off their feet and reignite passion in the hearts of everyone around them.
Underdogs
Team Spirit's journey was nothing short of spectacular. This team of mostly youngsters and 4/5 The International debutants played with unbelievable composure and presence of mind. The deafening influence of coach Airat "Silent" Gaziev was ever-present. The experienced captain Yaroslav "Miposhka" Naidenov knew what to draft and how to corral the players, making the most of the sheer raw talent the squad is filled with.
This was a team that got to TI10 through qualifiers, barely made the upper bracket, dropped to the lower bracket on the first day of the playoffs and after that, just didn’t look back. The only thing they kept mentioning was they were playing for fun.
Previously, GosuGamers explored what it takes to craft a championship team, focusing on lessons from in two-time, back-to-back The Internationals championship team OG.
If we go back and review, we can see some of the same practices and philosophies are woven through the storyline and crafting of Team Spirit -- you don't need a star-studded lineup, you don't need to only play in the "Meta, success has a LOT to do with mentality and leadership is more than inside the game.
But it was more than that.
No, we aren't giving credit to Miposhka's Deathnote strategy, although all things considered, perhaps we better tread lightly here.
Team Spirit TI10 Underdogs
Their TI10 cinderella story couldn't have had a better opening arc.
No, not that one.
This one.
Team Spirit was about 300 Dota Pro Circuit short of securing a spot at TI10 after they missed the first Major of the year.
That meant it was qualifiers for them.
Headed into the CIS qualifiers, however, they had no competition until the grand finals, where Team Empire gave them a scare by taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Although many would have expected the CIS matches to go down extremely fast, the qualifiers grand finals lasted for nearly five hours, as each game went well past the 40-minute mark. But in the end, it was Team Spirit who took the series 3-2 and secured a spot at TI10.
- Read more in the team profile TI10 Team Spirit: The new generation is taking over HERE.
Once at TI10, things didn't start out exactly the best for them. Despite getting an upgraded room after going public about the practice and group stage accommodations, the team went 0:4 on the first day and took another 0:2 loss on the second.
And then something clicked.
That was the last time they took a loss and finished out the group stage with a bang. They took their last 4 series with an 8:0 record, thus securing a place in the top four of the group. Enough to be granted a place in the upper brackets of the playoff stage.
In the first series of the main event they fell to Invictus Gaming in a 2:1 loss, but they gave one hell of a show.
llya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk landed the first rampage of the main event allowing his team to go straight for the throne to open the playoffs with an incredible victory over one of the two strongest Chinese teams. However, their inexperience showed through the next two games and dropped to the lower brackets where they would have to fight over and over again for survival.
They swept through Fnatic, the two-time champions OG, bested Virtus.pro 2:1 and exacted revenge on iG with a clean 2:0 sweep before outplaying Team Secret for a place in the grand finals.
Team Spirit TI10 Champions
In the grand finals Team Spirit set the stage for an absolutely perfect ending to an incredible story.
The plays coming out of Magomed "Collapse" Khalilo were absolutely thrilling. When Jenkins had said on the panel "Horn toss Magnus is a better Pudge" Team Spirit took it literally and ran with it. Time and time again Collapse played out of his mind. In addition, when Mira joined him in the lane and pushed the harassment to a new level Collapse really became the key factor in Team Spirit laning stage dominance.
Team Spirit’s carry, Yatoro, alone played a total of 21 heroes in the 36 games Team Spirit played
Crafted by Silent, led by Miposhka, and played out by the entire team, Team Spirit was able to find a good mix between the CIS aggression, objective-taking oriented drafts, and late-game scenarios.
It turns out it wasn't just a good mix, but the perfect mix for bringing a young group of players into the spotlight and showcasing just how championships don't just belong to the stars, to the all-timers, to the repeat champions. They can belong to anyone with skill, dedication, and perseverance.
- Read more about the thrilling five-game grand finals in Team Spirit are the champions of The International 2021 (TI10) HERE.
Team Spirit roster:
Illya “yatoro” Mulyarchuk
Alexander “TORONTOTOKYO” Khertek
Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov
Miroslaw “Mira” Kolpakov
Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov
coach: Silent.
