Cloud9 vs Team Liquid

For our opening match of the LCS season, we have an absolute spectacle: Team Liquid vs. Cloud9! This is also a repeat of the 2019 Summer Split finals, although there's good chance you won't recognize a good chunk of C9's current line-up. In short, if things pan out as expected, this could be one heck of a game.

On the one side, we have the defending champions Team Liquid, the best and most stacked North American team in history. They've won four LCS titles in a row and have made just a single change to their starting line-up: removing Xmithie in favor of Broxah (of Fnatic fame). That's an unexpected change overall, but it's a welcome one nonetheless. Xmithie was never exactly a weak link, but his play often left a lot to be desired whenever Liquid competed at the biggest of stages. Sometimes he's play out of his mind, other times he would be a complete non-factor. In that sense, Broxah is a huge upgrade stylistically. He's more aggressive, commanding both when ahead and behind, and he can dominate on a plethora of different picks. He's also a stellar performer both on home soil as well as internationally and is bound to elevate Team Liquid in new and exciting ways.

The only problem is the fact that he won't be playing for TL in the opening week because he's struggling with visa issues. That's quite unfortunate, but Liquid had more than enough time to prepare and adapt, which is why they're slotting in former LCS champion (and mid laner) Pobelter in this week. He's not quite a Broxah (or an Xmithie for that matter), but he should be good enough as a temporary replacement.

Cloud9, on the other hand, will field three new players: their Academy jungler Blaber, Zven from Team SoloMid, and Vulcan from Clutch Gaming. They're all a nice fit stylistically, but whether or not they'll be as good as the Cloud9 of old still remains to be seen. There's some potential, that's for sure, but the loss of Svenskeren and Sneaky will surely affect the team and their potential across the board. Still, they're far from a pushover, and if they synergize in the right way they're bound to challenge for a spot in the Top 3.

They're all so incredibly aggressive and mechanically talented, so if they play to their strengths and draft well, they could definitely catch Liquid off guard. That's going to be harder to accomplish than it sounds, but the potential is certainly there.

In the end, we have to side with Liquid on this one. There's no reason not to, and even if Pobelter fails to perform in the jungle, Liquid still has three lethal weapons they can utilize and three distinct avenues for success. They can play through any lane, and even though they'll surely be a bit out of sync, they have more than enough firepower to get the win.

That said, it's the opening match which means everyone's still getting used to the stage and their new teammates. Because of this, it's almost impossible to predict the outcome with confidence. There's still no consensus on the best and most optimal way to play the game, so teams are bound to experiment and, therefore, make mistakes. Liquid will surely play a bit more conservatively (a stark contrast to what Cloud9 are bound to do), but if they weather the storm and draft a bit of late game insurance, they should be favored to get the win.