Origen vs Rogue

For our third match of the day we have a relatively uneventful clash between Origen and Rogue. This isn't exactly what you'd consider a "must watch", but it's surely going to be a close, relatively exciting game regardless. The main reason as to why that'll probably end up being the case, is because these two teams are entering the fourth week of competitive play without any concrete hype or momentum.

Now, it's still week four, so they have time to pick up the pace and make something out of their inaugural franchised LEC Spring Split, but the clock is ticking. Rogue, of course, have a much steeper mountain to climb. Perhaps it's even too step -- a hurdle they simply cannot overcome. If they weren't able to best even Excel Esports, it'll be tough to find a less capable opponent for them to take down. They did, however, look a lot better last ween, but it wasn't enough for them to get a win on the board.

They're not a bad team per se, and they definitely have a ton of veteran presence within their five-man line-up, but in the hyper competitive LEC landscape it just isn't enough. Not by a long shot. The best they could hope for right now, is to play spoiler against a mid-tier team.

That's where Origen comes in. They're currently the definition of "mid-tier". They're entering week four with a rather underwhelming (albeit pretty acceptable) 2W-4L record, and they were fortunately able to best SK Gaming last week and perhaps cement themselves as a solid number seven team in the making. By being outside of the top 6 though, they're automatically out of the playoffs, which is their number one goal for the Spring Split. Is it an attainable one? For sure, but a lot of things have to go right for Origen in order to make that a reality.

They did, however, say that constant travelling for Denmark to Berlin impacted their level of play. They will no longer be doing such exhausting aerial commutes, so we should be seeing a more cohesive, energetic Origen going forward. They're a solid team, that's evident on first glance -- they're just not amazing at anything. They're not early game beasts, nor late game mammoths. They are subdued, calculated, and effective -- at best. If they pick up the pace and start playing at the level many expect them to, they could very well upset and eke out a top 6 finish further down the line.

Which make this game so darn important for them. Their potential playoff shot is many weeks away, and they need to build an identity and stay somewhat competitive. They simply cannot afford to drop a game against a winless Rogue roster. Right now, there are no easy wins in the LEC. The region is no longer as top heavy as it once was, and they need every single win they can get -- and in all fairness, it doesn't get any "easier" than Rogue right now. Or any "less hard", rather.

We're going with Origen on this one, and with good reason. It doesn't matter that Rogue looked great against Vitality. They never really had the lead, and even though their proactivity would've led them to a victory (if it wasn't for one of the most painful backdoors in recent history), they still didn't do things "by the book". It's not like Origen did much better overall, but they at least have an upper hand when it comes to experience and sheer mental fortitude. In a game of inches, those are the things that become the deciding factor.

While it might not be particularly clean or dominant, Origen should be able to get the win. They want redemption, they want to be a playoff contender and they want to make waves in the LEC. Things didn't start off the way they wanted -- not a problem, there's always next week. They need to take down Rogue and make a statement (not a big one, to be fair), and solidify their spot as a solid mid-tier contender that can go blow-for-blow with the teams at the very top of the region. Their road to the playoffs essentially