100 Thieves vs Team SoloMid

For our first match of the day we have a rather fascinating clash between Team SoloMid and 100 Thieves. Now, after last week's results, it's fair to say that neither of these two teams have much hype or momentum behind their backs. We all knew they were talented (with the perennial North American giants having a noticeable upper hand), but to see them struggle so much certainly lowered their stock, at least for the time being.

On the other hand, it's hard to blame them much seeing how they had an insanely hard schedule. Team SoloMid were facing the undefeated Cloud9 and the ever-elusive and deceptively capable FlyQuest, whereas 100 Thieves had Team Dignitas and FlyQuest as well. By all means, this was as tough a schedule as they could possible have. So when we put things into perspective, their losses aren't that monumental.

Still, they didn't look particularly good which means no one's quite sure how high to rank them. Was this just an out of form showing that won't repeat itself, or a sign of trouble?

Either way, this is a fascinating match-up and it's definitely worth your time and attention.

Team SoloMid were entering their clash with Cloud9 with quite a fair bit of momentum, in no small part due to their fantastic (and highly dominant) four-game win streak. They needed little time to synergize as a five-man unit and their inherent potential and sheer prowess were evident from the moment they stepped foot on stage. In fact, Cloud9 members publicly said that they deem TSM as the only true test and challenger in North America at the moment. That certainly seemed true as both titans traded heavy blows in the early game. Team SoloMid had the upper hand after Blaber made an egregious mistake, but in true Cloud9 fashion, they were able to right the ship and play at an insanely high level.

Perhaps that's even an understatement. The things Cloud9 pulled off were mind-blowing. This was not your run of the mill, cookie cutter style of League of Legends. Instead, they were insanely dominant and were able to team fight front to back without skipping a beat. Their coordination was mesmerizing and it felt like they were bending the rules of the game at will.

There was really nothing Team SoloMid could have done. They fought to the best of their ability but it simply wasn't enough. Their game against FlyQuest was a much better showing and they certainly had the lead (a sizable one, to boot), but their mid-game fumbles once again shined bright. They couldn't synergize and get on the same page which gave FlyQuest a fighting chance.

Despite this, they're an absolute behemoth in the making. That's quite obvious and it's evident every time they "click" as a five-man unit. Sometimes they're strong enough to maintain such a level of play throughout the entire game, which always leads them to victory. Other times they're incapable of fighting through their inherent problems and therefore tend to fall apart. In any case, they're one of the best and most promising teams North America has to offer, and they're bound to leave a mark sooner rather than later. An 0-2 week, while certainly depressing, didn't hurt their stock too much. We've already seen them at their best so we know what to expect going forward.

100 Thieves, on the other hand, are a mixed bag. They're just not consistent or strong enough to actually warrant any benefit of the doubt. There's certainly some potential, but they're just not good enough as five-man unit at this point in time. Ssumday, Meteos, and Cody Sun are spectacular, but they're being weighted down by Stunt and Ry0ma, and that's especially evident once they're up against a top-tier team. Ssumday, in particular, is their one shining star but if he's not set up for success then they basically lack an avenue for success.

Regardless, they're far from a pushover and they have all the right tools to give Team SoloMid a run for their money. Still, we have to side with the perennial NA giants on this one. They've shown much more potential over the last couple of weeks and will surely rebound in style.