A quick preview of the groups and teams in the upcoming Dota 2 Super League…

The Dota 2 Super League (DSL) begins on May 10 in Shanghai, with 10 powerhouse teams congregating for a showdown via group stages, playoffs, elimination, and finals, for the chance at over 1 million RMB in prize money.

Group A sees a relatively larger gap in ability. Apart from it being expected that iG will top the group, all the other spots are up for grabs amongst the other teams.

1. iG: TI2 champions, widely recognized as the best team in the world currently, they’ve successfully dominated just about every major event in 2012 and 2013. Every position in the team is played at a world-class level. For iG, the only question is whether anyone else has the power in them to take them down, and challenge them for first in the group.
Star players: all of iG

2. LGD.cn: Third place at TI2, managed to defeat iG in G-1. However, they’ve undergone a series of changes lately, with LongDD leaving not long after joining, which highlights an element of instability within LGD.cn. Can LGD.cn show us a new face along with their recent changes?
Star players: xiao8, Sylar

3. Vici Gaming: A new team not long formed, yet the presence in their team of one of the three big carries of yesteryear, ZSMJ, brings a major talking point for viewers and competitors alike. Can VG achieve a top 3 finish in this group with such time-honored talent? And as a former LGD player, ZSMJ, who had once brought so much glory to his old team, will be looking to prove himself against them now. By his side, newcomer Cty is another point of interest to look forward to.
Star players: ZSMJ, Cty

4. TongFu: A team that seems to match the level of their opponents, strong when facing strong, weak when facing weak, they possess Hao and Mu, two top tier Chinese players, yet have been in terrible form recently. After switching out two players, can they re-discover their touch?
Star players: Hao, Mu

5. ForLove: One of the best of the second tier Chinese teams, ForLove has some history behind them, yet have always stuttered a bit when it came to results. They have fairly plentiful experience, yet haven’t found their own rhythm in making a breakthrough somewhere. Similar to TongFu, they’re appearing here after making rostre changes, and whether the changes will make the difference for them remains to be seen.
Star players: you, hanci

Group B sees a much closer spread in terms of team ability. Just who advances and who falls might come unpredictably. New teams in here may have new styles of play, DK itches to redeem themselves, and interest will be high in seeing whether LGD.int and Orange can break through in the Chinese scene.

1. DK: Predicting DK as first place here, isn’t necessarily because they are clear favorites in terms of ability in the group, but more because their past performances demand this kind of high expectation for them. They have the world’s greatest carry player, the Anti-Mage himself, BurNIng. They have trash talk king xB/rOtk, and they have Super, 357, and MMY, players who have won countless championships before. DK’s results in the past year have been poor, yet anyone who overlooks them does so at their own peril, because their experience and determination here will not be lacking — as long as they execute well, winning everything is not a dream
Star players: BurNIng, xB/rOtk

2. LGD.int: Runners up in the G-League 2012 Season 2, a team formed of players from five different countries. They train together with LGD.cn in Hangzhou, combining the light grace of European Dota with the steadiness of Chinese Dota, and this gives them more than enough to compete in group b. They’re the ‘foreigners’ Chinese team’.
Star players: God, Misery

3. Orange: The only true foreign team present here, representing the top of SEA Dota. Their star player and the heart of the team, Mushi, has been known for a long time with his stylish play and flashy antics. In the recent G-1 qualifiers, he led Orange to next offline stage, proving that they can stand amongst the best that China has to offer. As the sole truly non-Chinese team, can they make it all the way?
Star player: Mushi

4. RisingStars: Another new team, formed recently by former members of DT.Club and Noah’s Ark. They’ve got undeniable personal and team skill, but are lacking in match experience and adaptability. Their style tends to be over-aggressive, so a matchup with them in it is guaranteed to be exciting to watch. They also often bring out innovative tactics, and are a very imaginative team.
Star players: Super, Mofi

5. RattleSnake: A new team of old players, all of their members have rich experience. Their captain, Luo, is recognized as a master of strategy, and often brings unexpected picks and tactics. This team has been recognized as having great dark horse potential in the group.
Star players: Luo, LaNm

Source: http://dota2.17173.com/news/05062013/162347528_2.shtml