Team Liquid defeated 1win 3-2 in the grand final of Elite League Season 2 to win their first tournament in nearly four years.
Image: Team Liquid
The last time Team Liquid won a tournament, it was ESL One Germany in October 2020. Since then, the team has done quite well, but has often stumbled at the last step, earning them a lot of second place finishes. That curse has now been lifted as Liquid defeated 1win 3-2 in the grand final of Elite League Season 2 to take first place.
1win got to the grand final by defeating Team Liquid 2-0 in the upper bracket final. Liquid set up a rematch with the Eastern European team eliminating the crowd favorites BOOM Esports 2-1 and putting an end to the possibility of seeing a home team pick up the trophy in Lima, Peru.
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Team LiquidThe first two games of the grand final were all about the pace of the draft, and ended between 23 and 26 minutes. Team Liquid drafted a Luna in the first game and played a faced paced game before 1win’s Terrorblade could come online. They also were able to get a last pick Ember Spirit, which was surprising since that is Michał “Nisha” Jankovski’s most played hero of the tournament.
In game 2, 1win didn’t ban Ember again, but picked mid Monkey King, which forced Nisha into an uncharacteristic Keeper of the Light pick. Even though Liquid had the Luna in game 2 as well, 1win’s Monkey King and Windranger core duo were able to fight and take control of the game much faster, and gave Liquid a taste of their own medicine.
Game 3 nearly hit the hour mark, and this is where things got much more interesting. This was a back and forth game and 1win had a slight advantage in the 35th minute, but they squandered it going high ground, as has been the case quite a bit for the last few Dota 2 patches. Nisha’s Storm Spirit was able to refill his HP and mana in the fountain and keep darting in and out of the fights. Aydin “Insania” Sarokhi’s Crystal Maiden played a big part in the come back with some full duration Freezing Fields.
Game 4 was straightforward for 1win, with Nikita "Munkushi~" Chepurnykh’s Morphling going out of control while using all of Liquid’s Gyrocopter’s arsenal against them. 1win pushed the series to a deciding game.
Game 5 was possibly the best game of the series. 1win were in the lead, and got the pick on Nisha’s Ember Spirit in the Roshan pit. But he had a Fire Remnant in the pit before dying, and bought back to come back into the fight and help Liquid win it. That fight turned the whole tide of the game, putting Liquid in the driver’s seat. They held on to finally win a tournament and break the second place curse.
Team Liquid have been looking for this elusive first place for a long time, and now that they have it, it should calm their nerves a bit heading into The International 2024 (TI13). Sure, the top Dota 2 teams in the world may not have been in Lima for Elite League Season 2. But sometimes, all it takes is that mental barrier to be brought down for that additional bit of confidence.
As for 1win, they can hold their heads up high, having played an amazing tournament overall. The rise of this team has been rather fast, and they will be one of the dark horses to watch out for in Copenhagen at TI13.
Top 4 Prize Money at Elite League Season 2
1st palce: 
Team Liquid: $240,000
2nd place: 
1win: $120,000
3rd place:
BOOM Esports: $72,000
4th place:
Execration: $56,000
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