 
They've got the control. The position is theirs.
The game is theirs. The series is theirs.
And top six is theirs!
Team Liquid was one of the all-star teams that we sort of
Expected to be maybe even a winner of this event and now they're in lower bracket.
It felt really bad. Like all this preparation we had prepared for TI and suddenly we're in the loser's bracket.
Like how did this happen? We topped our group like...
... what the shit?
Kuroky was giving us this motivational speeches like "Boys I've been to 7 TI's. Doesn't matter. Don't care. Just play your game."
But I've heard the angry Kuro before.
Yeah. It was a lot more harsh when we started two years back.
But he's mellowed down and... like this TI and it was nothing for me.
I think after losing to IG in that fashion it did take a toll on our
Confidence levels. We started doubting a bit on a few heroes that maybe we shouldn't play even though we've had success with them all year.
I think the TI pressure was real because we're confident enough to know that
we can beat any team if we just play our strats but we didn't play our strats.
If we play reactively we're basically saying
the work we put in all year
we're throwing it out the window.
That Is one thing that we tried to be much more conscious of going into the series against Secret.
Team Liquid vs. Team Secret
I think one of the key things for teams is how they respond when they get dropped to the Loser Bracket.
Usually what happens is
If a team's in the Upper Bracket and there's a lot of pressure on them and they lose, and they drop to the lower bracket
that first series in the Lower Bracket more often than not eliminates them.
Secret are in shambles now!
It's over for Secret! GG!
We just beat Team Secret in the lower bracket. I think we adapted during the series quite well against them and
eventually overcome them. Now we have to work very hard for our next opponent. There's no time to relax or anything.
We're planning on the practicing harder, preparing for our next match up which is gonna be the Team Empire. And we're just gonna go from there.
At TI you either play good or you play bad. It doesn't really matter.  In the end the better team wins.
Team Liquid versus Team Empire
Liquid pushing down the bottom lane.
Empire, what can they do to stop this now?
Resolution moving in but GG!
We've talked to some teams before in previous TI where they've been forced into the lower bracket and obviously that's difficult
But some have told me that in a way It helps give you more momentum. Do you feel that's the case as you prepare to face VP?
Winner's Bracket or Loser Bracket the pressures on you because
you're one loss away from just getting eliminated from the tournament so the pressure is always there.
Winners bracket might be treated a bit more
comfortably because you know you have one more chance. But I think can the end of the day the pressures on both teams.
It is an elimination game so
It is somewhere in the background off your head you know like okay we are one loss away from getting knocked out of the tournament
The more they get in the tournament the more
emotional it gets for you because you're getting forced so I can imagine our guys like freaking out and being happy.
Because it is after the elimination game and we're still in the tournament.
Virtus Pro versus Team Liquid
This could be the huge moment! If bloodseeker dies right now it could be over!
103 minutes! Team Liquid! It has been a marathon!
But they will take game 1!
I mean what the hell happened man?
At that point you are really mentally defeated, and I think the same case will happen to VP. I don't think they're gonna win this game.
They'd beaten Secret, they've beaten Empire. You think Russians are gonna stand in our way?
Team Liquid from all sides!
The tier 3 tower in the mid will now fall!
Where is the defense?
But GG well played!
VP realized the truth. The truth is team Liquid will eliminate them from The International.
And advance forward.
I am a fan of Liquid because I love Matumbaman.
And I love Liquid because German Dota players are the best Dota players.
Kuroky said so!
They try and make Western eSports legit.
They're amazing players. Every single one of them. They got the hint of wild card along with some stability.
I like them because they beat teams that I don't like so...
We have approach of trying to trust each other and believe in each other and especially like
believing and the decision-making of Kuro and his drafting abilities. This team is pretty much built on
face and trust. So if we happen to win it is pretty much because we trusted each other and we believed in each other.
If there's one thing I think every pro player needs to remind them self of is staying humble.
Sometimes you need to compromise your ego you need to listen to your teammate. Maybe you don't agree with them.
Disagreements are very normal between five players. It's a five people relationship. You gotta compromise.
You're very happy when all the hard work you put into the game pays off.
Team Liquid versus LGD
He gets pushed away. Back It up the safety on the high gorund. Now LGD need to retreat.
Mircale- give him another. He wants more!
With the hits just keep on coming LGD... 4 down!
He's got two! Four have fallen!
LGD on the ropes now!
And Liquid searching... they want this tower...
GG! Liquid have done it!
2-0 over the titans
They looked like a much better team than LGD. Yeah like they even looked like a better team than themselves from the previous days.
I think last year was not an issue of skill but it was an issue of mentality. This year the team is even better.
If that can even be believed. Because last year we won everything. Pretty much the entirety of the time I was there.
And what really failed us in the end was the fact that
We just didn't gel where it mattered. Everyone was nervous, everyone was uncomfortable. You could see that in the way they played.
You could see that in the way they drafted. And if you're not comfortable at TI or your mentality or your concentration slips for
even a second you're out. So for Liquid to avoid that, I think they need to go in
be really calm. As weird as It sounds, just kind of be okay
with losing a game. Saying to yourselves we can pull ourselves back together
Let's keep focused. Keep a good mentality. Let's do what we've been doing all year, don't try to change anything too much.
You know I think like the thing about this year's team is that they actually
have quite a bit of firepower. Like the previous squads, not that they weren't good, but they didn't
have like the peak level that you could get to with Players like Gh and Miracle-
Last year was a lot of pressure.
Not that there wasn't a lot of pressure this year, but bouncing back from that loss to IG was critical.
When that happens then anything can happen. They can go all the way.
LGDFY and NewBee are the two kind of like stronger teams, but
Dota's dota. It just doesn't matter day to day. Stuff can happen.
Why do you think that this time is different? What makes this team
So special and so successful at this particular TI compared to your experiences last year for example.
Like at the beginning when we lost against IG we were like very stressed about it.
I think it was a flashback from the last year. But then we had some talks and we were like "Just play...
... don't care about it because it's TI." We take it just like any other tournament so i guess that's helped us.
Like I go into the game. I don't feel stressed or like I actually don't feel anything so that's good for me I guess.
I hope my teammates feel the same.
Team Liquid have won four best of 3's in a row to stay alive to the final day of TI7.
I think they're one of the few teams that we can say have draft wins. You're in a tournament that's very difficult for
people to out-draft Kuro.
As we've seen the drafts have gotten better and better out of team liquid and is increasingly seeming like they're real
linchpin for success in these events.
Some people come here prepared some don't. Some have the pressure get into their heads and they lose early. Some I feel like some teams
can reach high places
just because they're confident. Even if they're not the better team. But overall I think it's all about team play, strategy, and confidence.
It really seems like just across the board on Liquid... They are on fire!
LFY versus Team Liquid!
Look for the big team fight! Who's starting the party?
He's still fighting this! Miracle-'s is fighting this!
GG!
What's going through your mind right now as you
realize that you're now going to see the grand finals? I want to win. I've waited for this day for years.
This is also Kuroky's third TI grand final. He's never won, so this is a huge opportunity for him to really prove himself.
I think he's ready.
Only one best of 5 remain.
Only two teams remain.
Newbee and Team Liquid. An absolute stunning series of matches have led us to this moment in time.
My goal didn't really change. Just a different team.
I'm hoping to win TI... obviously, like anyone. And I have really really good feeling about it.
So it's very important that
The team... that the players, they enable each other and empower each other. Because with Dota it's in its core a team game no matter what.
Individual skill is extremely important. Mechanical skill is important but
Even more so important is the team.
No players win tournaments. It's always the team.
Team Liquid played a lot of games to get here, but now they are here in the grand finals right now. The grand finals of
The International 7 begins with Newbee Vs. Team Liquid
Kuro really causing problems for Newbee to commit with these detection items
Now it's four heroes down! I don't know if Newbee can really repel this!
And GG!
They know it's over!
They've lost the numbers! There isn't enough defense here from Newbee
They just don't have the damage and GG!
34 minutes! Team Liquid ripping apart NewBee in game 2!
And GG! It's done!
Your champions of The Internation 2017 is Team Liquid!
Liquid have done it!
Your 2017 International champions are Team Liquid!
Kuroky! Kuroky! Kuroky!
Well I learned a lot in the last three years as a captain. I learned a lot about how to build a team and
How to get the chemistry right between players
We... I don't think we take winning for granted by any means so.
Maybe we don't show a lot of joy sometimes but deep down inside
you're very happy when all the hard work you put into the game... when it pays off and you can reap the fruits.
I think it means the world to him to win this tournament.
He's much more happy now because he finally made it.
The series just ended. I had played six official games. They're pretty like mentally and physically
Exhausting. You're very tired at the moment and you just did your celebrations already and just
you're like expecting like "Yeah now I can just chill" and then Kaci comes next to you like,
"Oh, we're live by the way! There's just like 300,000 people watching you. What do you want to tell them?
I'm so focused in Dota that I don't know what to say I just focus on the games and now
It feels kind of empty inside actually. It's like the games ended and I have no purpose anymore.
Honestly I think I enjoyed the road to winning more than the actual winning.
The countless hours with playing and practicing with my team and playing tournament games with them. Because like the joy of winning and like the
playing that you share with your teammates it's really nice. Money doesn't give that kind of pleasure.
It feels pretty good.
Have to admit.
I started Team Liquid 17 years ago and it wasn't at all with the goal of being a professional eSports owner.
You know the expectation to reach this level just wasn't there for a long long time and
seeing it all come together
by winning TI... which is the biggest moment in Team Liquid History. That was a very special week for me.
I think now I understand more about like
life in general. I think you should actually never pursue something blindly if you don't actually enjoy like
the process of getting there.
Looking back now, I don't wanna pursue any dream... like even winning a second TI
with the cost of "I didn't enjoy it.
I didn't even enjoy like the work I did for it." I don't think it would be worth it for me.
If you think about life the way that
you always deserve what comes for you. You always deserve it. It in a way or another.
That's the way I think of life and it's easier to process. You don't have that many regrets.
