Dota 2: The Lima Major 2023 Group A Day 1 Recap

Dota 2: The Lima Major 2023 Group A Day 1 Recap

Time Stamp: February 23, 2023 12:44 AM

All the action from Group A on Day 1 of the Lima Major 2023.

After the end of the 2023 DPC Tour 1 Division I in all regions, we’ve learned the names of the teams that will take part. We’ve already written several articles about it, so feel free to explore ESTNN’s Dota 2 section to learn more.

With that said, the first day of the first Major of 2023 is over, and with it, we witnessed a lot of epic matches in Groups A and B. Although both had something to offer, this article focuses on the first one. With that said, let’s learn more about some of the more intriguing matches.

PSG.LGD vs EG

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The first series of The Lima Major 2023 was between EG and PSG.LGD. Even though many people considered the Chinese squad to be the heavy favorite in the match, the South American squad wanted to prove them wrong.

The laning stage between the two was even, but EG’s Lina setup suddenly took complete control and secured an impressive lead. With more than 10k net worth lead 27 minutes after the start and an Aegis, the South American team won the first game.

The bad news for the South Americans was that the team wasn’t able to win the series. After losing the first game, planet and the rest stepped up their game and picked an amazing draft with Ursa and DP. Unsurprisingly, the Chinese squad used it to its full potential and equalized the match.

Team Spirit vs TSM

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Another series that we were very interested in watching was between Team Spirit and TSM. The latter was the only team from North America that finished the DPC without losing a single game, which is why people expected it to shine. Sadly, things didn’t go as planned because TSM wasn’t able to overcome the powerful Team Spirit.

Speaking of the devil, the CIS powerhouse showed what it’s capable of in both games. This is especially true for the first game of the series, where both teams were neck and neck. TSM had its chances of winning because of its Enigma, but the hero wasn’t powerful enough to carry the team.

After losing the first game, TSM decided to change their draft for the second, but the squad  got Enigma for the second time. Sadly, the hero wasn’t able to do much because he had to play against the famous Magnus and PA from Spirit.

Yatoro and the rest had no problems utilizing the combo and won the match after 46 minutes of play. This victory was vital for them because TSM is one of the main contenders for the first 4 slots in the group.

Tundra and Execration resulted in a draw

One of the series that many Dota 2 fans were interested in was between Tundra and Execration. Even though the current TI champion was the heavy favorite, the SEA powerhouse was really good in Division I, so people were eager to see whether it had what it takes to defeat one of the best teams in the world.

After 2 amazing games, the two powerhouses ended their series in a draw. The first one went in Tundra’s favor after the team used their signature Pangolier and Riki draft. TI 11 champs have used it several times throughout the DPC, and it always worked.

Despite losing the first game, the SEA squad didn’t give up and bounced back in the second game of the match. In fact, bouncing back is probably an understatement because the squad ripped through one of Western Europe’s best teams at The Lima Major 2023.

Following the 33-minute victory, Execratione equalized the series. 

Tundra defeated EHOME

Following the draw against SEA’s top-tier squid, Tundra Esports had another challenge ahead of it – EHOME. This was the latter’s first game of the day, and the team had to win in order to have a real chance of succeeding.

Sadly, things didn’t go as planned because EHOME wasn’t able to win the first game of the match. Despite the amazing early game and the lead in kills, the Chinese lost a big fight, which allowed Tundra to secure a massive lead. Although the squad needed around 51 minutes to win, in the end, the EU squad got the victory.

Following the success in the first game, Tundra Esports also dominated its opponents in the second game of the series. This match was much easier for them because it only lasted for 30 minutes. EHOME used a very similar draft to the first one, but they couldn’t deal with the WEU squad and lost the match.

GG draw one series, win one series

Gaimin Gladiators is one of the big favorites in The Lima Major 2023 because the squad played really well in the WEU DPC 2023 Division I. With that said, the team wasn’t able to secure two victories after the first day of the Major because it got one draw.

The first series for dyrachyo and the rest was versus Talon Esports, and it ended in a draw. Even though we didn’t expect it, this match turned out to be the most interesting one yet because the first game lasted for 52 minutes, whereas the second one was almost 66 minutes long.

After the draw, Gamin Gladiators had to face Team Spirit, one of the favorites. Most people expected the EEU squad to win, but GG was way better and had no problems in both matches. Even though it had to face Spirit’s Magnus and CK combo, the WEU team found a way to succeed and defeat its opponents.

Other results

In addition to the games mentioned above, there were 2 more series to watch. Interestingly, TSM found the needed motivation and power to bring down PSG.LGD, something that we didn’t expect to see.

As for the other series, Expectation lost against Talon Esports in a match where we expected the most dominant SEA team to win. However, it seems like Palos and the rest didn’t have the best game because the team lost.

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