Team Liquid vs Team SoloMid

The fight for third place over in North America is arguably even more interesting than the grand finals that’ll follow it just a day later. Team Liquid and Team SoloMid are bound to deliver in every way, shape, and form, and you really don’t want to miss it. This isn’t just a fight between some of the best teams in NA but also a clash that carries with it a ton of history along with multiple mouth-watering narratives. If you’re into storylines, things really cannot get any better than this.

First of all, what’s on the line? Frankly, not much, other than bragging rights and a chance at facing FlyQuest in the finals. That’s nothing to scoff at, overall, but seeing how all three teams already secured their tickets to the World Championship, they can now play without pressure. They’ve both won the LCS on multiple different occasions, so it’s not like they’re itching for the spotlight as much as some might expect. They’ve been here, and they know what needs to be done. Still, hoisting the LCS trophy is quite a big deal, and you can bet that both line-ups want to etch their names in history — regardless if it’s for the first time or not.

This match-up, in particular, is ripe with narratives and history. Doublelift was essentially kicked out of Team Liquid for his motivational issues and replaced with a staggeringly talented marksman rookie — the same individual who’s just won the Summer Rookie of the Split award. TSM also hasn’t won an LCS championship for what feels like an eternity. They’ve been nothing more than a well-rounded gatekeeper for years, and it’s a position they’re not particularly fond of. For an organization that’s as legendary and important as TSM, that’s quite a debacle. And their run so far throughout 2020 has certainly been strange. None of us were quite sure whether they were underperforming or just experimenting, and their wins often left a lot to be desired. They simply didn’t look like a top-tier team, but they always got the job done when it mattered the most. They’ve also accrued an all-time record in terms of their win-loss tally with fourteen wins and just four losses — a strange record given just how inconsistent and downright mediocre they often looked, regardless of whom they were up against.

But in true (old school) TSM fashion, they persevered when it mattered the most. Their one-sided loss to the Golden Guardians certainly had everyone worried, but they went back to the drawing board, adapted, worked on their biggest flaws, and came back with a vengeance. They reverse swept GGS in the rematch before outclassing the defending champions Cloud9 in what can rightfully be deemed as one of the biggest upsets of the year. And they looked darn good in the process as well. They didn’t make many mistakes, Bjergsen hardcarried as he often does, BrokenBlade once again styled over his opposition (beating Licorice is no small feat), and Spica shined bright even though no one gave him much of a chance against C9’s Blaber. In short, TSM played like a well-oiled machine, and watching them perform so well was an absolute delight. They also showcased many different strategies and they pulled them all off with ease. They’re incredibly flexible, even though they might not look like it at first glance.

This is especially important given whom they’re up against tonight: Team Liquid — one of the least flexible teams in North America. Team Liquid doesn’t take any risks. Instead, they draft for late game and wait things out for as long as humanly possible. They prefer to team fight, but only on their own terms — when and where they want to, without any exceptions whatsoever. They didn’t impress much in their Best of 5 against FlyQuest, and that’s important for tonight seeing how they aren’t entering this clash with much hype or momentum. They lost fair and square, to a team that simply played better League of Legends on the day. FlyQuest was more prepared and they executed better. To TL’s credit, they *did* draft a couple of unexpected team comps, but their execution left a lot to be desired. Heck, maybe that’s even an understatement. That one moment when Impact Shen ulted CoreJJ’s Thresh instead of Broxah’s Hecarim tells you all you need to know. They were scattered across the board, and that’s a problem. Granted, TSM has their own issues, but their lows aren’t quite as low.

This match-up is so darn interesting because it is also a clash of styles. TSM is more lane dominant, they want to create leads as soon as possible and snowball them en route to a dominant win. Liquid, on the other hand, wants to wait things out. One drafts for early, other for late. And their players also differ in terms of playstyle and potential. They’re neck and neck, really, and it’ll be insanely close from the moment these two teams spawn on the Summoner’s Rift. The 2020 LCS Summer Split has been incredibly volatile in terms of predictions and betting. This Best of 5 should be no different. Both teams have all the right tools to get the win, and it’ll all go down to the wire. On the one hand, TSM has more momentum and if they play to the best of their ability they should definitely have the edge. But there are too many “ifs” when it comes to the boys in black and white. Many things need to happen for them to get the win, and their rookie jungler Spica needs to deliver big-time against one of the best and most successful junglers in Western history. That’s quite a tall order, as you can imagine. Team Liquid, while not entertaining, have a very clear path towards victory, and there’s no uncertainty whatsoever. They play just a singular style and while that’s obviously a negative, they’re favored for a reason — they execute more often and with more success.

We’re siding with TL on this one, but it could really go either way. TSM is playing some great League of Legends at this point in time, but getting a win over GGS and beating a Cloud9 that imploded beyond measure isn’t quite as hard as it might look on paper. Their success is concrete and their hype well-deserved, but it feels like both are blown out of proportion. Regardless of the final outcome, expect absolute chaos on all fronts.