Southeast Asia’s aspiration to secure a spot in The International 12’s top four was shattered as Talon Esports met their end against BetBoom in the second lower bracket round of TI12 this morning.
The SEA’s underdog team faced a shaky start in the initial group stage games but managed to secure a third-place finish, stunning the audience with their triumph over Gaimin Gladiators, a formidable European team. Despite a promising start in the upper bracket quarter-finals, their hopes were dashed with a significant defeat against Team Liquid, leading them to the lower bracket match against BetBoom.
Although the odds seemed to favor Talon, their Russian opponents were definitely not a slouch, as they finished the second spot in their group stage and nearly besting 9Pandas in the phase two round. And this match highlighted the notion that with enough determination, any team can pull off the impossible.
The first game saw an intense exchange of blows for the first 30 minutes. Talon managed to keep pressure on their opponents through the outstanding performance of Rafli “Mikoto” Rahman and Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon, who dominated the scoreboard with their Windrunner-Spectre combination. However, BetBoom tactfully avoided complete wipeouts several times, primarily through Egor “nightfall” Grigorenko’s Sven, keeping Talon at bay.
The intensity waned after 30 minutes as both teams focused on minimizing risks and consolidating their strategies. The turning point came at the 51st minute when BetBoom attempted a surprise team fight in Talon’s territory, only to be countered by 23savage and Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong. Unable to contain Talon, BetBoom conceded defeat after 69 minutes with a score of 31-20.
Building on their winning momentum, Talon started the second game with a strong performance, putting pressure on BetBoom in the initial 20 minutes. However, BetBoom’s patient defensive approach paid off as Talon grew impatient, leading to critical errors by 23savage and Jabz in BetBoom’s territory around the 61st minute. Capitalizing on this, BetBoom pushed all the way to Talon’s base and secured victory despite an 8k net worth deficit, thanks to the Pure-nightfall combination.
In the final moments, both teams aggressively fought for dominance, with BetBoom gaining the upper hand. As the power gap widened, Talon succumbed after 40 minutes, unable to match BetBoom’s aggression. BetBoom achieved their objectives, dominating Talon in their territory at the 54-minute mark, securing their spot in the quarter-finals of the lower bracket.
With Talon’s departure from the competition, SEA has now lost its representation, both in terms of players and teams. Despite their undeniable talent and mechanical skills, the team needs to focus on their mental resilience to make a comeback in the next competitive season.
