Big names could go home on Main Event Day 2

posted by Olucaron,

Eight games were played across six series on Day 1 of The International 2018 Main Event, and there were some shocks. We saw last year’s runners-up Newbee sent home by Winstrike, alongside Fnatic, TNC Predator and VGJ.Thunder, while the favourites were dumped into the Lower Bracket. Can Day 2 provide the same level of excitement?

The playoff run starts in 90 minutes. #DreamOG #TI8

First up - VGJ. Let's get it OGs → https://t.co/CaU5T4Mk2z pic.twitter.com/m59Z8no9iT
— OG (@OGesports) August 21, 2018

VGJ.Storm look to continue good form

The North Americans of Forward Gaming were the surprise winners of Group A, finishing ahead of the likes of Virtus.pro and Team Secret Today they go up against OG, who will be looking to exert European dominance over NA. Will this match again be the Roman 'Resolut1on' Fominok show, or will Johan 'BigDaddyN0tail' Sundstein lead his team into the next round?

Get ready.

EG vs @teamsecret kicks off in the second series for today. The stakes are high, as the loser heads to the snake pit of a Lower Bracket. #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/27suHIeyKL
— Evil Geniuses (@EvilGeniuses) August 21, 2018

Arteezy looks to get one up on Team Secret

Evil Geniuses take on Team Secret in what promises to be a stormer of a game. While EG led Group A for most of the Group Stage, they were eventually overhauled by Team Liquid. Secret, on the other hand, struggled for the first couple of days, before finding some form to make a late charge to secure their Upper Bracket slot. Can Artour 'Arteezy' Babaev dictate matters against his former side?

Chinese underdogs, or Green Wall?

Team Serenity are somewhat of a unknown quantity, in that you never know which side is going to turn up. Despite finishing seventh in their group, they lost just two series, proving to be the tie specialists before ending the hopes of Fnatic yesterday. Can they prevail over OpTic Gaming, who were so casually brushed aside by Liquid in the Upper Bracket yesterday?

See you tomorrow at #TI8 Lower Bracket match against @MineskiProTeam at 3:00 CET! Set your alarms and don't forget #GOGOVP 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/5P1AdQ8T9F
— Virtus.pro (@virtuspro) August 21, 2018

Could the DPC winners need early flights home?

This was not supposed to happen. As the DPC’s strongest team, Virtus.pro were heavily tipped to go all the way and secure the Aegis. However, an underwhelming Group Stage by their standards was followed by a clean sweep by PSG.LGD in yesterday’s Upper Bracket showdown, and now they find themselves fighting for their TI8 lives. Can they secure the win over SEA’s last remaining representative, Mineski? Daryl Koh 'iceiceice' Pei Xiang and his teammates will have other ideas in this redemption battle.

What are your predictions for today’s matches?

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