Golden Guardians vs Team SoloMid

After a day packed with upsets over in the LEC, we move our attention over to North America, hoping that their LCS colleagues won't be as volatile in their play and performances. To start things off, we have a much-anticipated clash between Team SoloMid and the Golden Guardians.

On paper, this is a hugely entertaining scrap with playoff implications, and it's also a fight between two teams of seemingly equal strength. Obviously, Team SoloMid take the edge in reality, but their play isn't always that impressive. In fact, they've been getting a lot of flack for their recent performances: indecisive, sloppy, out of sync, and devoid of any aggression. They have exceptional moments, that's for sure, and then they just fall off a cliff without any apparent reason. Their game against 100 Thieves simply boggled the mind, and the one against Evil Geniuses just a day earlier was equally as volatile. As things stand, they're a very dangerous mid-tier contender who'll potentially be able to challenge for a spot at the top. Still, despite their inherent potential, they're far too inconsistent which makes betting on them an absolute nightmare.

The Golden Guardians aren't much better in that regard. There's a ton of talent within their line-up and once we saw Closer and Damonte in action we were not left indifferent. Two mechanically gifted, "in your face" kind of players who are unrelenting in nature. What's not to like? Well, as it turns out, this "match made in heaven" isn't particularly consistent, and they're also not in sync as much as they need to be to actually warrant a spot at the top. They're scattered across the board and for every good move they make, there's always an egregious blunder waiting around the corner -- an error that'll set them back much further than they'd like. Still, they're fairly solid in most facets of play and their win over 100 Thieves yesterday gives them a bit of much-needed momentum. It was against a weakened 100T roster, so it's not like it accounts for much, but a win is a win.

Team SoloMid, on the other hand, are riding a small (but invaluable) win streak, and they're looking to make a statement tonight and continue their climb to the top of the LCS. They have all the right tools to beat the Golden Guardians and make it three in a row, but their volatility complicates things quite a bit. In the end, we're siding with the boys in black and white as they're simply better across the board. They might not be particularly clean or commanding, but when push comes to shove they always manage to deliver, and this game should be no different. That said, don't expect a one-sided affair as neither team is particularly clean right now.