What a series. These two teams showed that they were both incredibly deserving of a spot at the TI5 Grand Finals and the games did not disappoint.

Every game was very back and forth, but in the end Evil Geniuses only dropped Game 2 to CDEC and walked away with both 6.6 million and the pride of being the first team from the Americas to win The International. Well played from both teams. Congratulations to Evil Geniuses.

Game 1

ShiKi's Queen of Pain took first blood on SumaiL's Storm Spirit with the help of a roam from garder's support Leshrac. Two more rotations, this times from both Xz's Spirit Breaker and Leshrac, and Storm died two more times, CDEC taking the early lead.

CDEC's aggression train just didn't stop. At the 6 minute mark they smoked with three heroes towards the top lane. EG were ready this time with plenty of defensive teleports and in the end they had taken three counter kills.

Despite the three early deaths, Storm Spirit had overtaken all members of CDEC in terms of net worth by the 13 minute mark. He was playing very aggressively and though he hadn't yet made a last hit on a kill, he had 6 assists and was getting very close to an Orchid.

By the 20 minute mark EG were five man running down CDEC any chance they go. Their kill lead was 15-4 and they already held an over 7.5k lead despite only two towers taken down so far.

CDEC seemed unafraid and after a quick pick off on ppd's Crustal Maiden they began to pressure the Tier 2 tower top. It doesn't fall and ppd bought back but EG couldn't catch any of the retreating CDEC heroes.

SumaiL was bravely jumping all around the Dire jungle but after jumping onto QoP he was caught with a Winter's Curse and brought down, giving an almost 800 gold bounty to ShiKi.

EG took a free Roshan at the 25 minute mark, giving the Aegis to Storm, who had just completed his Bloodstone. However, the Aegis was reclaimed before EG got anything done and both teams farmed up.

Even without an Aegis, EG moved to take down the Tier 3 bottom at the 32 minute mark but quickly dove the back lines when CDEC came to defend, taking down Winter Wyvern and Spirit Breaker before bringing down the full lane of barracks bottom.

With Roshan respawning, the two teams clashed in the river near the pit. Storm was brought down but he immediately bought back and EG brought down every CDEC hero except for QoP, forcing the surrender in Game 1.

Game 2

ShiKi's Leshrac found first blood on UNiVeRsE's Clockwerk when he trapped himself in cogs and was caught in a Split Earth stun. CDEC's supports began to travel across the map, killing SumaiL's Windranger in mid before heading top and snagging a kill on Fear's Gyrocopter to top it all off.

Surprising no one, CDEC were making aggressive moves all around the map. By the 7 minute mark they had taken a 5-2 kill lead.

Still, EG were not falling behind as the game progressed. CDEC took the first tower of the game in the middle lane with the constant pressure of Xz's Broodmother but by the 12 minute mark EG had 6 kills of their own, almost caught up to CDEC.

A huge fight erupted at the 14 minute mark in the middle lane and it was a three-for-one for CDEC who only lost their Leshrac and took kills on Gyro, Clock and ppd's Crystal Maiden.

The game slowed down after the fight as both teams seemed to want to finish their next items. The action didn't break out again until CDEC went for a four-man smoke gank towards the top lane that ended with four dead on EG in exchange for CDEC's Tusk.

EG needed something good to help get an edge in the game but as they went for Roshan, CDEC were taking their Tier 2 tower top and began to pressure the high ground. Still, EG easily secured the Aegis for Windranger.

As EG tried to push the Tier 2 top, Brood was already in position to push the Tier 3 bottom. EG started to back off and teleport out but CDEC caught Windranger and took her down twice, removing the Aegis.

CDEC were looking scary but EG won a fight of their own in the bottom lane when they caught them spread out around the jungle and brought down several heroes. EG were finally able to secure the bottom Tier 1 tower that CDEC had defended for so long.

Things were looking good for EG until a fight broke out around Roshan in which CDEC perfectly juggled EG and completely wiped them without losing a single hero. The Aegis went to Leshrac and CDEC regained their 10k net worth lead.

CDEC found EG once again in their own secret shop and with four heroes dead they looked to push. Gyro and Winter Wyvern had buyback, but both had used their ultimates in the fight. Winter Wyvern bought back and died and CDEC took the Tier 3 tower before faking a back off and coming back in to kill both Windranger and Crystal Maiden. ppd called GG and the series was tied 1-1.

Game 3

First blood didn't come until after the 5 minute mark, a surprise from these two very aggressive teams. Agressif's Slark had been trying for a kill in the top lane but EG turned it around into a kill on Q's Visage for SumaiL's Ember Spirit.

The action broke out in earnest soon after as EG committed full aggression to the middle lane but gave away kills on all three cores. EG had been sitting on a minor net worth lead but with the dive things returned to a much more even state.

CDEC seemed to be getting the upper hand in the many skirmishes and though their net worth lead was not too far ahead of EG, both Leshrac and Slark were leading in terms of individual farm.

Slark was spending a significant amount of time split pushing the top tower and EG weren't doing much to stop him or get any counter objectives. EG began to make a move at the 19 minute mark with a three man smoke gank but CDEC avoided the move and continued the pressure top and took the Tier 2 tower down.

With a Blink Dagger picked up on Slark, CDEC smoked up their entire team and moved towards Roshan, finding no one. They broke the Smoke and began to work on the Tier 1 tower bottom. EG engaged with Clockwerk and he was blown up but EG chased for more and took three kills.

The game continued at a very slow pace with a few small engagements ending in zero kills. Things were looking good for EG with their strong late game heroes in Ember and Gyrocopter.

A fight finally broke out at the 37 minute mark as both teams met near the Dire Tier 2 tower mid. CDEC lost three (and their Gem of True Sight) and killed Ember, and EG picked up an Aegis for Gyro before CDEC could recover.

CDEC took a huge net worth swing despite the Aegis, killing Gyrocopter twice and bringing down all but Undying while only losing Lion. Suddenly it was CDEC on the offensive again, but they did minimal damage to the Tier 3 tower in the middle lane before backing off again.

EG took yet another Roshan at the 49 minute mark and CDEC came to contest but gave up garder's Lion without stopping the Aegis from going to Gyro. As the third Roshan of the game there was also a Cheese, which went to Ember Spirit.

CDEC met EG as their middle lane was pushed in and took down Gyro twice but lost Visage (and their Gem again) and Leshrac.

At the 55 minute mark EG killed Slark, Leshrac and Visage and began to push the top Tier 3. Both Lesh and Slark bought back and they killed Gyro and Ember without losing their barracks.

An extremely disjointed fight broke out in the top lane near Radiant's secret shop that migrated all the way over to Dire's jungle but in the end everyone but Lion on CDEC were dead with no buy back.

EG pushed straight down mid and skipped the barracks, going straight to Tier 4s. CDEC realized they were done for and called GG.

Game 4

The first blood in Game 4 was the latest of the series, and in fact of the tournament. First blood finally came at the 9 minute mark as two four man smokes collided in the river near midlane. ShiKi's Dragon Knight was the first to fall, followed up by Xz's Clockwerk making it a pair of kills for EG.

CDEC took their first kill with a pick off on SumaiL's Storm in the bottom lane, killing the Tier 1 tower as well with the help of Elder Dragon Form.

It took a little while but CDEC's second kill was on Storm as well. They smoked up and jumped him in the bottom lane and though EG re-engaged, CDEC also grabbed a kill on Earthshaker, losing garder's Lina.

With another clash in the top lane EG took three-for-two but Storm Spirit died yet again, leaving him with a measly four Bloodstone charges.

Storm Spirit got a much-needed boost to those charges with a fight in the top lane as CDEC tried to push in for the Tier 2 tower there. EG lost Earthshaker but killed everyone except for PL. The tower was defended and Storm was back up to 8 charges on his Bloodstone.

CDEC thought they were safe to take Roshan with Storm dead but EG had Ice Blast and Echo Slam ready. They hit all five with the blast before a Blink in from Earthshaker, landing the Echo before any BKBs could be used. Once again Phantom Lancer escaped but EG took Roshan and secured an 8k net worth lead.

EG took a pair of easy uncontested towers in the bottom lane as Dragon Knight split pushed in the middle lane, but CDEC couldn't get any sort of trade and were slowly becoming trapped on their side of the map.

CDEC were caught outside their base near Roshan and EG finally killed PL before moving bottom. Dragon Knight escaped with a sliver of health, but was stuck in the trees in bottom lane with his teleport scroll on cooldown. By the time he got back the full set of bottom barracks had fallen.

As the full CDEC squad respawned, they initiated but EG got a big Ice Blast killing Clock, Lina and Dragon Knight. DK bought back, but with no Elder Dragon Form there was nothing he could do. EG killed everyone and as PL ran away, CDEC surrendered, making Evil Geniuses TI5 champions.

Annabelle "Abelle" Fischer is a writer for theScore eSports with a love for Dota 2, birds and cheese. You can follow her on Twitter.