LGD meets sister squad twice in finals of MDL, who’s ready for TI7?

When I wrote my mid-season reports for LGD Gaming and LGD.ForeverYoung, I mentioned that LGD Gaming should watch their back; LFY proved they’re a force to be reckoned with at EPICENTER 2017, where they went 4-0 in the group stage. Which of these teams is better prepared to face their competitors at The International next month? Keep in mind, both LGD squads reached the finals of MDL (ahead of Newbee, OG, Evil Geniuses, and Invictus Gaming). That’s impressive if you ask me.

How did LGD meet LFY twice in the finals of MDL?

The group stage of MDL was very close. Eight teams competed, and OG’s 5-2 record claimed 1st Place. Because Clutch Gamers went 1-6, the seven others were neck-and-neck. Two games separated 1st from 7th. LGD Gaming (4-3 group stage record) lost to Invictus Gaming, Newbee, and Vici Gaming. LFY (also 4-3 in the group stage) lost to Clutch Gamers, LGD Gaming, and OG.

Group stage winners, OG, chose to face LGD Gaming in the first round of the upper bracket. A three-way tie for 2nd Place in the group stage left OG with two other options. OG selected the one team of the three that they lost to in the previous round. This is what I call nonsense.

In hindsight, they probably should have chosen LFY or Newbee. What would you have done? If you’re trying to reach the finals of MDL, which I’m sure they were, why make it harder on yourself? They got too confident. I just hope OG learned a lesson from this. 4th Place is less prestigious than they’re used to finishing. OG regularly wins millions playing Dota, so I doubt they feared LGD. OG wanted some revenge, and got swept for pursuing it.

Thanks for reading. Reach out on Twitter and let us know which of the LGD teams you like to root for. Which team do you think will make a deeper run at TI7? And why in the world would OG choose LGD over LFY and Newbee? #LetsTalkDota has daily Dota 2 topics to tweet about. Highlights are below to help you decide.