The Southeast Asian representatives make the European powerhouse bleed!

Team Secret has been an unstoppable force during the first two days of The International 2019, sporting a flawless 4-0 record, until they played against TNC Predator and Mineski-Dota earlier today.

Puppey’s team opened their day three campaign against the FIlipinos like how they would usually start their day—with a win. It was a classic Team Secret game; a methodical play of Dota spiced up with the right hint of unorthodox draft in the form of mid Jakiro for MidOne and support Invoker for YapzOr. The second game, however, failed to tell the same story. TNC was enjoying a comfortable, but not insurmountable, lead most of the game, but what tilted the game heavily in their favor was a crazy, yet very crucial, fight in the Roshan pit.

Though Team Secret still managed to extend the game to a point where Nisha’s Sniper was able to buy a Divine Rapier, TNC Predator’s team fight prowess proved to be far more superior. They delivered the 2018-19 Dota Pro Circuit leader’s first loss on top of impressive performances from Armel’s Templar Assassin, who finished with a game-high 15 kills, and Gabbi’s Lifestealer who slammed the nail in Team Secret’s coffin with a clutch Abyssal Blade play.

Meanwhile, the best-of-two series against Mineski-Dota almost shared the same scenario, except Team Secret refused to flex their versatility. What they flaunted, however, is their ability to play Dota at the highest level. They dismantled Mineski-Dota in a game that didn’t even last for more than 20 minutes. It was almost a perfect game if not for the one death Moonn’s Ember Spirit dealt against zai’s Slardar, 10 seconds before the third Bounty Rune spawned.

Fortunately, the second game, turned more into a real battle, rather than game one’s heavily lopsided spar. Mineski decided to give Team Secret their own medicine by drafting a Quas-Wex support Invoker for Raging Potato. Nisha led the charge for his team as Alchemist, but the combo of Moonn’s Tiny and Raging Potato’s Invoker eventually became too much for them to handle. Mineski-Dota was able to force the gg call out of Team Secret after 43 minutes of play.

Though Team Secret ended the third day of The International 2019 group stage with a couple of losses, they were still able to cement their place in the upper bracket of the main event, alongside China’s PSG.LGD. The Southeast Asian representatives, on the other hand, still have a chance to end their group stage run together with the Dota Pro Circuit leaders, as they both finished the day with seven points.

TNC Predator and Mineski-Dota’s final group stage games will be played at 11:30 CST.