56 minutes and 10 seconds.
That’s how long it took MVP Phoenix to shift the entire balance of the Dota 2 Shanghai Major after knocking off EHOME two wins to zero on the first day of the tournament’s Group Stage.
Despite being one of the favorites to win the whole tournament, EHOME kicked off their first Group Stage match-up with a loss to MVP Phoenix. Unlike the CDEC/Secret match-up, which took 14 minutes to see its first First Blood, MVP got the action started with a gank on old eLeVeN just seven seconds after the horn. EHOME managed to keep it close for a little while. But as the match wore on, MVP Phoenix pulled further and further away, eventually earning the “GG” with a dominant team fight just after the 25 minute mark.
Unfortunately for EHOME, the first loss in the series didn’t turn out to be a fluke or one-off situation. MVP Phoenix ran roughshod over a team few fans likely expected them to beat, racking up more than 20 kills during a follow-up match that lasted just over half an hour. In less than 60 minutes, MVP Phoenix shifted the entire landscape of the Shanghai Major, pushing EHOME down into the Loser’s Match while simultaneously bringing them within one series of the Shanghai Major Upper Bracket.
Game 1
Results: MVP Phoenix Wins (25:56)
EHOME’s Line-Up: Faceless Void (old eLeVeN), Phoenix (kaka), Puck (old chicken), Lifestealer (CTY) and Crystal Maiden (LaNm)
MVP Phoenix’s Line-Up: Ember Spirit (QO), Mirana (Febby), Enchantress (FoReV), Outworld Devourer (MP) and Vengeful Spirit (DuBu)
Game 2
Results: MVP Phoenix Wins (30:14)
EHOME’s Line-Up: Broodmother (old eLeVeN), Tusk (LaNm), Morphling (CTY), Batrider (old chicken) and Phoenix (kaka)
MVP Phoenix’s Line-Up: Slark (QO), Vengeful Spirit (Febby), Nature’s Prophet (FoReV), Invoker (MP) and Disruptor (DuBu)
Top Plays
An early gank of EHOME's old chicken
The team fight that closed out Game One for MVP Phoenix
One of those fights you immediately regret picking
One of the few engagements that didn't end in disaster for EHOME
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