Golden Guardians vs Team Liquid

This is where things get a whole lot more exciting: Team Liquid vs. Golden Guardians! Now, this isn't exactly the best or most entertaining match-up in the LCS, but it's not far off either. It is, in essence, a clash between two teams of similar rank and potential. Obviously, Liquid has the edge, but that might not be as visible on the Summoner's Rift as most people expect.

First of all, GGS is still an enigma for a wide variety of reasons. Once the Summer Split began, many were quick to hype the promising Damonte + Closer mid and jungle duo. It was a pairing that made all the sense in the world, with both players being exceptionally aggressive and mechanically gifted. They're two sides of a single coin playstyle-wise, and such a combo would then, in turn, give GGS a bonus avenue for success. This was a combination unrelenting in nature, with both players being "blunt instruments" without much tact or reserve. They can play the macro-game as well, but they'd much rather throw caution out the window and skirmish without any hesitation. That's not only entertaining for everyone to watch, but it's also a fairly positive trait in today's meta, dominated by non-stop team fighting and bravado-fuelled engages.

But for one reason or another, they didn't really click all that well. The potential was certainly there, but GGS looked far less consistent and capable than what most people expected. Because of this, judging their long-term potential and overall level of play was downright impossible. For every moment of brilliance, there was an equally perplexing failure right around the corner. They were too aggressive and things were not going their way for a wide variety of reasons. But as the weeks went on, GGS continued to improve and hone their skills, both individually as well as a five-man unit. Their play over the last two weeks was not only impressive but also fairly unexpected -- they finally realized a good chunk of their innate potential and have started looking like a playoff contender in the making. Obviously, it's still too early to give them the full benefit of the doubt, but it's hard not to be impressed after watching them take down FlyQuest, 100 Thieves, and Evil Geniuses. That's the second and third best team from Spring, mind you. Whether or not they're actually a top-tier contender remains to be seen, but the potential is certainly there, and they're still gelling as a unit as well which means their best is yet to come. Team Liquid will be an incredibly important test -- depending on the outcome of this one game, we'll know where to slot GGS going further ranking-wise.

Speaking of Liquid, their split so far has been fairly confusing, but still positive as a whole. They are, without a doubt, a top-tier challenger, but how good they really are remains to be seen. If anything, they've improved leaps and bounds from Spring and are on course to not only reach the playoffs but also, potentially, lock down a ticket for the World Championship in China. This is beastly line-up in every way, shape, and form, and they've done more than enough to earn our benefit of the doubt. Still, they're not that consistent and are often struggling at the most random of times. Their game against Counter Logic Gaming yesterday, however, did instill us with a ton of confidence as they completely blew CLG out of the water in extremely clean and one-sided fashion. It was a masterclass in every sense of the word and it's fair to expect yet another one against GGS tonight as well.

How clean they'll look is anyone's guess, but they have all the right tools to get the win and continue building on their momentum en route to the playoffs. GGS is no slouch, and they'll definitely make this a highly competitive affair, so expect fireworks on all fronts!