SK Gaming vs Misfits

Misfits keep on pulling off the impossible. They're such a feisty team, it boggles the mind, really. Always on the offensive, never the one to back down and surrender, even in the harshest of circumstances and in the face of the biggest deficits. Their game against Fnatic yesterday was a sight to behold: they were down almost ten thousand gold and yet it mattered very little as they clawed their way back, and it wasn't the first time, either -- they're used to these huge reversals, and are obviously capable of fighting until the very last second.

They also have this uncanny ability to find an opening and really turn the tides despite facing the grimmest of odds. They really shouldn't be this good, especially not with their backs up against the wall. It's a special kind of talent, one that cannot be taught or developed: you either have it or you don't, and Misfits have it in spades. It's the way in which they navigate teamfights and the things Neon and Vetheo are capable of pulling off in the heat of the moment. And boy will they be entering the playoffs with a ton of momentum -- an incredible amount, even.

Their game against Fnatic was, by all means, horrendous. They *did* turn it around, but that should in no way cloud our judgement: they shouldn't have been at that big of a deficit in the first place. It's a worrying trend, frankly, and it's going to be quite problematic once they start competing in those taxing Bo5s. They cannot always count on a big opening nor will they be able to create them on demand -- they *need* to clean up their play and actually fix their issues if they want to stand a chance going forward.

With that being said, we can't scold and criticize them *too much* seeing how they *did* persevere -- that's still worth something.

SK Gaming, on the other hand, will officially end their Spring Split run once this game is over. They're out of the running for playoffs and they have nothing left to look forward to. How will that affect their play? Will they tryhard or, perhaps, play without any zest and bravado? Their game yesterday was quite sloppy and error-ridden. They failed in whatever they had attempted, and it just wasn't a good look, especially not after seeing them beat Rogue just a day prior to facing EXCEL. It's not that we necessarily expected any better, but we *did* think they'd ride that momentum wave and perhaps get another upset win on the board. Fate, however, had entirely different plans.

As already mentioned, they stand nothing to gain here, and that'll either give them a bit of steadfast reserve or, alternatively, hinder their morale even further. Both options are entirely possible which is why we cannot help but go with Misfits on this one. They're the better team and if they could claw their way from the jaw defeat against such top-tier teams like Fnatic and G2 Esports, then what odds do SK have? Next to none, which doesn't mean they'll just roll over and let their Nexus explode -- they'll fend for themselves to the best of their ability, so expect a lot of chaos from the very beginning.