Cloud9 vs Team Liquid

This is what we've all been waiting for: Cloud9 vs. Team Liquid is, for all intents and purposes, the final before the *actual* final, and we can't wait to see what'll happen and who'll come out on top! It's an important Best of 5, too, although it's not exactly the be-all and end-all seeing how both teams are currently slotted in the Winners' Bracket which means that -- should they drop the ball -- they'll still get a shot at redemption. Losing this Best of 5 wouldn't exactly be ideal, of course, but it wouldn't be anything other than a temporary setback and a short detour towards the LCS throne.

It's a huge boon and an invaluable benefit to both teams and they'll surely harness it to the best of their ability — they'll play with less reserve and fear because they know there's a safety net of sorts.

So let's cut straight to the chase: predicting the outcome of this one game is nigh impossible. There's just no other way to say it. Who'll win is anyone guess; there's no way to objectively predict the victor as both teams have what it takes to get the "W."

The biggest uncertainty in that regard is the fact that Team Liquid are once again playing with Santorin as their starting jungler. This one change is of the utmost importance. Armao is solid overall but he's nowhere near as experienced or cerebral a jungler as his more seasoned colleague. Team Liquid with Santorin is, for all intents and purposes, a title challenger; without him, they're nothing but a solid, top-tier team that can hold its own against the creme de la creme.

So it'll be interesting to see how big of an effect this one change will have on Team Liquid — we know for a fact that they'll be much more dangerous and flexible in a Best of 5, but whether Santorin is once again playing at his 100% remains to be seen. The odds certainly aren't on TL's side, but at least they have a shot.

Then again, it's not like Cloud9 are the epitome of consistency at this point. They're endlessly more dangerous than what was the case back when they first returned from MSI, but they're still heavily flawed and are prone to making huge mistakes and blunders and the most inopportune moments.

Their Summer Split record (15W-12L) tells the same tale, too. In fact, out of their 17 total losses, a whopping 12 came over the last couple of months — this tells you all you need to know when it comes to their consistency (or lack thereof). Interestingly enough, Team Liquid have been equally as successful throughout Summer, so it's not like they'll enter this particular Best of 5 with more hype or momentum — far from it, in fact. They did look great with Santorin back in the line-up, but they did lose to Cloud9 in their very last game of the regular split, so take that as you wish — it's definitely food for thought. It is, of course, just a single game, but at this level that's more than enough to make a difference.

In the end, we're leaning towards Cloud9 but we're not doing so with any supreme confidence — it'll truly boil down to prep and execution, and that's where both teams tend to excel and shine the brightest. Cloud9 obviously have the upper hand (at least ever so slightly) but that doesn't have to mean much in the grand scheme of things.