Team Philippines settled for a runner-up finish in the Southeast Asia Esports Federation Dota 2 Championships after suffering a 3-2 reverse sweep at the hands of Team Thailand in the Grand Finals on Monday, Nov 22.
The Philippine squad composed of the pro players from Polaris Esports roster failed to close out the series in Game 3 which allowed the Thais to gain momentum and claim the title at the end of the thrilling five-game series
The Filipino quintet was off to a fiery start in the best-of-five finals, moving on cusp of the regional title after posting victories in Games 1 and 2.
The team embarked on a dominant 49-18 victory in the series opener as John Anthony “Natsumi” Vargas ran wild on his Spectre with a 17-2-24 showing.
Team PH which also had Nikko "Force" Balacura, Mc Nicholson “Lelouch-” Villanueva, Marvin "Xavius" Rushton, and Bryle Jacob "Mavis" Alvizo continued the onslaught in the second match with another 47-22 beatdown of the Thai squad. Natsumi showed the way once more using his Ursa with a 22-2-13 KDA while Lelouch-, also known as “Mac", provided support with a 16-1-10 performance on his Outword Destroyer.
The Filipinos had the chance to claim the title in Game 3 after leading by as much as 7k in net worth but a clash at the 47-minute mark of the game spelled doom with four heroes getting killed on PH side.
The Thai team, which was composed of pro players from Motivate.Trust Gaming, pulled off a 55-33 victory in Game 3 which set the tone for the reverse sweep.
Getting their groove back, the Thais displayed poise and went tooth and nail against the Filipinos in the crucial Game 4. They eventually prevailed in a tight a 31-31 victory in Game 4 before clinching the title in the winner-take-all Game 5 in a one-sided 37-26 win.