North America Is An Embarrassment At Worlds… Again
I feel like you could set your watch by it. Death, taxes and North America embarrasses themselves at Worlds. The main event at Worlds 2020 is underway, and after the first weekend, North America has 1 win. One. Freakin. Win. I swore to my doctor that blood pressure being what it is, I wouldn’t get too angry at Worlds this year. That’s officially going out the window. Let’s break down North America’s slovenly performance at Worlds so far.
Team Liquid falls apart on the big stage
Oh, how quickly the good feelings fade. People (myself included) were feeling pretty good about Team Liquid after their 3-1 performance in the play-in stages. Rookie of the LCS Tactical looked like he could do no wrong. Apart from a questionable game against INTZ, they seemed like they could make some noise in Group A. Anyway, that dream has all but died. Their first match against Machi esports saw them pick a late scaling comp with almost no engagement. Machi didn’t blink, outplaying them at pretty much every turn in the early game and building a lead that could not be overcome.
Their second match of the weekend against the Chinese team Suning Esports didn’t go any better. Team Liquid looked out-classed in both games, and it was a stark reminder that success in the play-in stages counts for almost nothing at Worlds. Next, let’s turn our attention to Team Solomid.
TSM crushed in group C
Unfortunately, the second verse is the same as the first. There was reason to believe in Team Solomid. Their unique (to North America) playstyle of focusing their game through the jungle and top side gave fans hope that they could compete on the international stage. Unfortunately, the teams they’re facing play that same playstyle, only way better. Team Solomid was manhandled by both Europe’s Fnatic and Korea’s GenG Esports.
Both teams now sit at 0-2, and their playoff hopes are all but dead. Barring an incredible turnaround, they’ll be heading back to North America soon.
Looks like Cloud- er FlyQuest is the last hope for NA
FlyQuest is the only North American team to have found even a modicum of success so far at Worlds 2020. While they were thoroughly trounced by Top Esports, they did manage to pull off a win against Unicorns of Love. Here’s the thing, I don’t think Unicorns of Love is a very good team. They’re a borderline Worlds qualifier, and certainly not a contender. And I can’t even say that FlyQuest looked great in the win. The match was a clown fiesta, that FlyQuest happened to come out on the right side of.
Overall, I don’t feel bad for the players or the teams. I feel bad for the fans. For those who were still willing to wake up at 4 AM to tune in to these games and watch their teams get demolished. I chose not to this year. This year, I decided to sleep in on the weekend, have breakfast, and watch the VODs. The LCS doesn’t deserve my sleep deprivation. They don’t deserve your fandom. Until they get a clue and start developing their own home-grown talent to compete, they will never win on the big stage.
We broke down the latest on Worlds on our daily podcast. You can check it out here!
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Lead Photo by David Lee/Riot Games