After winning the VP team, the rest of the group stage schedule is much easier.

Whether it is a domestic NB team or a foreign OG team, it is difficult to cause much trouble to the Phoenix team.

On August 6, with the completion of the last group of matches, all the matches of the TI group stage were completed.

Team Phoenix is doing very well.

They won all eight games and accumulated 16 points in the group stage, ranking first in the group.

The momentum is overwhelming and irresistible, which is the best interpretation of their first TI journey.

With the exception of Team Phoenix, the rest of the teams performed equally well.

The LFY and NB teams in the same group as Team Phoenix all finished in the top four and entered the upper bracket.

In the other group, the LGD team finished second in the group and also made it to the upper bracket.

Only the IGV team struggled and ended up in sixth place. They will be greeted by a brutal lower bracket match.

After the group stage, another topic was put in front of everyone.

According to the rules of the tournament, the team that wins each group has the right to choose its opponent.

Team Phoenix tops their group and can choose another team that finishes third or fourth in the first round of the playoffs.

In the other group, in third place is the host EG team.

In fourth place is the TNC team from Southeast Asia.

The best news for Team Phoenix is that neither of these teams is domestic, and they don't have to fight a civil war in the first round.

"Who should I choose?" The pillow leaned back on the couch and shouted.

In order to choose their opponents for the first round of the knockout round, Team Phoenix held a special meeting.

They were now sitting in the lounge, discussing the final answer.

"EG is the TI champion in the end, and the strength is still there. There is a saying that does not say: an emaciated camel is bigger than a horse. Although EG's performance in the past two years has been a bit poor, the foundation is still there. Chubby analyzed it decently, and then said, "If you want me to say, let's choose TNC." ”

"I agree." Liuliu spoke, gave his own basis, and said: "Judging from the group stage, the EG team is obviously stronger. Compared to them, TNC is better to play. ”

When it comes to opponents in the first round, everyone is very cautious.

After all, in the previous TI, it was not without the situation that he chose his opponent and was sent away directly by the opponent.

What's more, Team Phoenix is already in the upper bracket.

A win to the first round of the knockout rounds will secure a place in the last six.

It's not just about the rankings, it's about the prize money.

It's no secret that The International prize money is notoriously high.

As the tournament with the highest total prize money in the world, TI's distribution of prize money is also different.

In terms of this year's TI prize money, the champion team will receive 44% of the total prize money. That is, almost half of the prize money will be distributed to the first place.

The runner-up prize is only 16% of the total prize money.

And so on, the lower the ranking, the less prize money the team will get.

And this reduction, almost a multiplier.

As the upper bracket team, Team Phoenix will finish at least 5-6 if they win the first round and will receive 4.5% of the total prize money.

In the first round, they will be ranked 9-12, and the prize money will drop to 1.5%.

This is a very real problem.

No team will deliberately dig a hole in this kind of thing, choose a better opponent to beat, get a better position, and get more prize money.

This is the most immediate goal of participating in TI.

"I don't think TNC is to be underestimated." At this time, Big Brother Meng Tao spoke.

As the oldest professional and natural player on the team, he has a relatively stable personality and has rarely taken the initiative to express his opinions.

But when it comes to the team's results, he still has to express his opinion: "We have always had a sentence, I don't know if you have heard it." ”

"There is no weak brigade in TI."

"If we underestimate our opponents, we will pay the price."

Hearing this, the coach couldn't help but nod, and couldn't help but think silently in his heart: "It's still the old player." ”

"Brother Feng, what do you think?" Pillow asked suddenly.

Lin Feng looked at the group points table, immediately laughed, and replied: "Actually, I want to choose NB, but it's a pity that they are in the same group as us." ”

"Brother Feng, you want to beat Brother Chen in your dreams!" Chubby quipped.

Of course, everyone knew that Lin Feng was joking, this was a tacit understanding between teammates.

was stirred up by Lin Feng, and the originally serious atmosphere suddenly became lively.

Speaking of this, Lin Feng restrained his smile and said with a straight face: "Speaking seriously, I mean: whoever you choose is the same." ”

He then looked at a few of his teammates and continued: "I think we should all remember what we were aiming for at the beginning. We're not here to get a good ranking, and we're not here to go one step further. ”

The turbulent tone was full of incredible firmness and confidence.

"From the beginning to the end, we had only one goal."

"Whoever stands in the way, we have to get through." Lin Feng's words were loud.

"That's right, what do you want to do so much? That's it. Pillow became extremely excited, and began to explode, saying, "If you want me to say that I will just draw lots, see who is the unlucky one." ”

At this time, Lin Feng suddenly laughed.

He paused for a while before he said slowly: "But then again, people have feelings and tendencies. ”

"I'd rather play against the teams in Southeast Asia."

As soon as he heard this, the pillow jumped up and shouted, "Then choose TNC, it just so happens that I want to them again." ”

......

At a time when Team Phoenix's final decision had not yet been made.

The two teams, EG and TNC, are suffering.

Truth be told, neither of these teams wants to run into Team Phoenix in the first round.

Finally, he played well in the group stage and won a place in the upper bracket. As a result, as soon as he came up, he met Phoenix, who had been invincible for nearly half a year, and finally fell to the loser's group.

It's also terrible.

But the choice is not in their own hands, in the end they still have to look at the face of the Phoenix team.

Team EG is fine.

After all, they are former TI champions, and their determination and spirit are still superior.

But the TNC team didn't feel so good.

At this time, in the TNC team lounge, the team members were waiting anxiously.

Of course, they want Team Phoenix to choose Team EG, so they will face Team LFY from the same region in the first round.

LFY's strength is just as terrifying, but it's still a bit worse than Team Phoenix.

As far as everyone in the TNC team is concerned, they can still give it a go when they encounter LFY, and maybe they can create a miracle and enter the next round.

But if it was the Phoenix team, they didn't have any confidence in their hearts.

"This team is terrible." No. 1 Raven muttered quietly, then said, "Hopefully they won't choose us." ”

"It's so uncomfortable, like waiting for the butcher's knife to come down. Whether it's good or bad next, it all depends on people's faces. Kuku pouted.

"If only we had played better in the group stage...... Raven complained, and he couldn't say anything more halfway through his words, and finally could only say angrily: "But it's fourth place!" ”

Just as a few people were discussing, the team leader walked in, and his face was not good-looking.

Seeing the team leader's face, the team members guessed the result.

"They still chose us?" Raven still has one last glimmer of hope in his heart.

But that last bit of hope was soon dashed.

The team leader nodded in frustration, then said, "Yes, they chose us. ”

As soon as these words came out, the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few points immediately, and along with the emotions of the team members, it slowly solidified.

Looking back at the few encounters this year, they haven't even won a small game. Not only did he not win, but he was pressed to the ground by the other party again and again.

There was another chill in everyone's hearts.

"Okay." Raven shook his head silently, as if resigned to his fate.

......

August 8th.

The 7th International Knockout Tournament has officially begun.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The International!"

G fat is still a simple outfit, and the flip-flops on his feet seem to have not been changed for several years. Standing in the center of the stage, he said this opening sentence.

This was followed by the opening performance.

The orchestra plays an impassioned piece that transports the audience to the ancient battlefield of Radiant and Daredevil.

After the song was played, the teams participating in the knockout round appeared one after another under the introduction of the on-site host.

First up was the host team, EG, who had been the dominant players in North America and were greeted with great cheers as soon as they appeared.

They were followed by Team OG.

The name of "Spring and Autumn Overlord" is still loud, and there are many of their fans at the scene.

One by one, the teams took to the stage and waved to the audience.

After the 15 teams took the stage, the host chanted: "Next up: the champion of the Asian Invitational Tournament, the champion of the Kyiv Major, and the champion of the Epicenter Cup." ”

“team phoenix！”

Hearing the host's voice, Lin Feng and his teammates stepped onto the competition stage together.

“phoenix，phoenix，phoenix......”

The audience erupted in an astonishing shout, and the momentum shook the sky and soared into the sky.

This has nothing to do with nationality, region, skin color, etc., it is just a recognition of the absolute strong.

It can be said that the preferences of all viewers are the same, and the beliefs of all viewers are the same: esports, strength is respected.

When you have absolute strength, every stadium will be your home stadium.

In order of the players' positions, the five members of the Phoenix team stood in the center of the stage.

Bright lights overhead, surrounded by a hustle and bustle of people.

They stand in the middle of the noisy environment, smiling and calm.

Lin Feng beckoned to the touch of red in the audience, he knew that it was his compatriots.

After thousands of mountains and rivers, he finally stood on the stage of TI.

With dreams, with longing, with the passion and impulse of his youth, he looked at the champion Aegis in front of the stage, and felt inexplicably excited in his heart.

As all the teams were unveiled, flags were lit up above the venue.

It is a picture of light and shadow, and each flag represents a team.

From today onwards, every time a team is eliminated, the corresponding flag will be darkened, which means that the song is over.

On the banner representing the Phoenix team, a phoenix is reborn from the flames of fire spreading its wings.

Soar towards the nine heavens.

......

At the end of the opening ceremony, the knockout round officially began.

First up is the upper bracket match.

As the group leader of Group A, Team Liquid was placed in the first place.

Their opponents are VP teams from the CIS.

This is the opponent they have chosen themselves, and it is also the opponent they feel most sure in their hearts.

But the result of the game was unexpected.

2:1.

The VP team advances.

Team Liquid eventually fell to the sword of their chosen opponent and was beaten to the lower bracket in the first round.

This result amused many viewers.

"Niu Pi, the opponent you choose, you have to finish the fight with tears."

"You chose it, idol!"

"There is still such a plot? Pick an opponent yourself and send yourself down in person? ”

"VP: I heard I'm the best fighter?"

"Liquid is making it more difficult for myself, I think the winner's group is not enjoyable enough, so I have to go to the loser's group to find excitement."

"The loser group wears six as one, and it's beautiful!"

Background.

Team Phoenix didn't expect this to be the case.

The liquid, which was the first in Group A, was defeated by the opponent he chose, which is a bit fantasy no matter how you think about it.

"The first round is the next gram, this game is not easy to play." Liuliu sighed.

"The liquid is self-inflicted, and I want to have some fun with everyone." The pillow looks like watching a play.

At this time, Chubby muttered and said, "We won't be the same, right?" ”

The meaning of his words is obvious.

Liquid selects VP and is sent to the loser's bracket by VP.

The Phoenix team chose TNC, so they won't be beaten to the lower bracket as well, right?

"Phew, you crow's mouth." The pillow scolded directly, and even wanted to do it.

Seeing this, Xiaopang hurriedly hid behind Lin Feng, and then began to circle around Lin Feng.

The two of them ran one and the other chased, using Lin Feng as a cover and shield.

Lin Feng was a little dizzy by the two brothers, and he couldn't bear it anymore, so he grabbed one with one hand and fixed the two spinning tops in place.

"It's going to be a game soon, so you can't save some energy?" He grabbed the two of them and quipped, "If you really lose in a while, you two will have to take the blame." ”

"Brother Feng, he chased me first." Xiao Fat was separated by Lin Feng, and he was still provoking his opponent.

"Who made you cheap!" The pillow is not spared.

At this moment, a staff member pushed the door in and said a few words to Lin Feng.

"Brother Feng, what did he say?" Pillow asked.

Lin Feng let go of the two brothers and beckoned, "Let's go, it's time for us to play." ”

Subsequently, under the guidance of the staff, five members of the Phoenix team took to the stage again.

Across from them, the members of Team TNC were already standing.

After the two teams took a look, they each entered their own soundproof room to prepare for the next game.

Lin Feng sat in his seat, connected the peripheral equipment to the computer, and then opened his game account to start pre-game debugging.

Immediately after, the referee behind him closed the door.

The moment the door was closed, the soundproof room suddenly became quiet, as if someone had cast a magic spell and turned into another world.

Starting with TI1, every TI session will be equipped with soundproof rooms.

First, it can create a quieter environment for the first hand, second, it can effectively avoid things that affect the fairness of the game, such as reporting points, and third, it also looks tall.

As a result, the contestants have received rave reviews for the soundproof room.

Some people even say that TI without soundproof rooms is unqualified TI.

Inside a soundproof room.

Lin Feng raised his head, looked through the glass in front of him, and finally landed on the team flag at the top of the venue.

His challenge is coming soon.

.....。

82 Chinese Net