Shopify Rebellion and Gaimin Gladiators each earned a win and a tie Tuesday to stay close to the top spot in Group A in DreamLeague Season 19 action.
Group A leader Evil Geniuses (3-0-3) also earned a win and a tie to remain unbeaten and maintain a one-game lead with one day left in Group Stage 1 action.
Team Liquid (4-0-2) earned a win and a tie to maintain its commanding lead in Group B.
Sixteen teams are competing in the $1 million Dota 2 event, which runs through April 23. The winner will receive $300,000 and qualification to the Riyadh Masters.
Two groups consisting of eight teams will battle in Group Stage 1, where all matches are best-of-two in a single round-robin format. The top four teams from each group move on to Group Stage 2, while the bottom four teams are eliminated.
Group Stage 2 merges all eight teams into one group and features best-of-three matches. Four teams advance to the playoffs, with the top two teams moving into the upper bracket and the third- and fourth-place finishers competing in the lower bracket.
Those four teams will duke it out in a double-elimination bracket. All playoff matches are best-of-three, besides the April 23 grand final, which is best-of-five. Whoever wins that match earns the $300,000 and qualifies for the Riyadh Masters.
On Tuesday, Gaimin Gladiators defeated Aster in 35 minutes on red and 24 minutes on green for the sweep. Gladiators first split with Execration, rallying with a win in 28 minutes on red after dropping the first map on red in 30 minutes.
Shopify earned a split with Evil Geniuses, winning in 40 minutes on green before dropping the second in 53 minutes on green. Shopify then swept Execration in 31 minutes on red and 35 1/2 minutes on green.
After their split with Shopify, EG defeated winless Entity in 65 minutes on red and 33 minutes on green.
Team Liquid swept Nigma Galaxy in 33 minutes on red and 37 minutes on green in Group B. But they had to settle for a tie against Team Spirit, winning the first in 44 minutes on red before dropping the second in 43 minutes on green.
DreamLeague Season 19 action continues Wednesday with eight matches:
Group A:
–Gaimin Gladiators vs. TSM
–Entity vs. Aster
–Shopify Rebellion vs. ex-HellRaisers
–Execration vs. Evil Geniuses
Group B:
–Team Spirit vs. Nigma Galaxy
–Talon Esports vs. OG
–Tundra Esports vs. nouns
–beastcoast vs. Team Liquid
DreamLeague Season 19 Group Stage 1 standings (wins-losses-ties):
Group A
1. Evil Geniuses, 3-0-3
T2. Gaimin Gladiators, 2-0-4
T2. Shopify Rebellion, 2-0-4
4. TSM, 0-0-6
T5. Execration, 1-2-3
T5. Team Aster, 1-2-3
7. ex-HellRaisers, 0-2-4
8. Entity, 0-3-3
Group B
1. Team Liquid, 4-0-2
T2. OG, 2-1-3
T2. Team Spirit, 2-1-3
T2. Tundra Esports, 2-1-3
T2. beastcoast, 1-0-5
6. Talon Esports, 0-2-4
T7. Nigma Galaxy, 1-4-1
T7. nouns, 0-3-3
–Field Level Media
