Machi E-Sports vs Team Liquid

Betting on Team Liquid, as it turns out, is not exactly advisable in this day and age. They're sloppy more often than not, passive throughout the game, and unwilling to take risks. But then, there always comes a game when they step up and play like their lives depend on the outcome. We've seen two such performances from them so far, first against G2 Esports back when they were winless, and now against Suning. With two wins on the board, they stand a chance of forcing a tiebreaker and even getting out of groups. Naturally, all of this is still a long-shot, but at least there's a chance. That, in short, is what North American fans were hoping for.

The most important thing, however, is that they've not only realized what they should prioritize in the draft but also the fact that they've gotten a fair bit of momentum. Getting a win over Suning is nothing to scoff at, and they looked darn good in the process as well. They're still not favored, it feels like, against Machi, but they're riding a solid momentum wave and their confidence has been regained. That, in short, is invaluable for a team that struggled so mightily throughout the Group Stage. They were in dire need of a win, and, despite the odds, they were able to deliver.

Broxah was a potent early game catalyst, Jensen has been playing out of his mind, Impact has been pushed onto tank duty (at long last), and Tactical -- their one rookie -- has stepped up immensely with pristine positioning and picture-perfect execution. Now sure, he's being enabled by his veteran teammates but he's still carrying his fair share of the weight.

Make no mistake: Team Liquid is by no means an astronomical favorite against Machi. They've dropped the ball on many different occasions in the past and Machi is fully capable of taking TL down (again). This is an extremely close game, but given TL's recent momentum, we're going to give them our benefit of the doubt. Hopefully they'll be able to deliver yet again. This, in short, is do or die for the former LCS champions, and fortunately, they play their best League of Legends when everything is on the line, so we're hoping for the best.