T1 vs Evil Geniuses

It might sound weird and incorrect, but T1 seem to be the third best team at this year's MSI. That, in short, is quite a complicated thing for one to process. It doesn't compute, in all fairness, and that'll probably remain the case for the next few days as well. They're still astonishingly capable and about as dangerous as we thought they'd be. They aren't, however, as precise, as commanding and fearless as they have every right to be (or *need* to be, depending on whom you ask).

That was obvious both during their losses to G2 and RNG, but also in some of their most recent wins, too. And that's the baffling part. Their game against PSG Talon, for instance, was absolutely dreadful. They *did* win, granted, but the fashion in which said win was attained was neither clean nor particularly impressive. They could've thrown the game many a time; a better team than PSG would have easily exploited and punished the LCK champions. We wouldn't go so far as to label them as "vulnerable," but you could definitely make an argument for that being the case.

We're disappointed, is all, in their hesitancy, in their lack of confidence, synergy, cohesion, and a more coherent game plan. They're winning mostly through individual prowess, but they're not the *only* ones who can lane well and are imbued with an incredible amount of mechanical prowess. Their teamfighting has improved a fair bit, in all fairness, but they've also regressed in certain other areas as well so it's more a case of "one step forward, two steps back."

In any case, they've looked a lot more vulnerable and out of sorts than what we've come to expect -- and what's acceptable for a team of their caliber. They were widely considered as the biggest frontrunner to win it all and claim the MSI throne and yet, at this point in time, that feels like a very remote scenario. It could still happen, in all fairness, but Royal Never Give Up and G2 Esports have been a whole lot more impressive and so it's impossible not to lean in their favor.

The T1 boys are surely aware of their issues which doesn't necessarily mean they'll be able to fix them in time. That's the most fascinating thing. The grand finals will take place in less than a week which means the margin for error has shrunk considerably. And, who knows, maybe T1 have *too many* issues to work on and will struggle amidst such unforeseen circumstances? It's unlikely, granted, but still possible.

They simply don't have a good enough read on the meta and have been caught with their "pants down." That, believe it or not, is the most apt description. And they're stubborn too, seemingly unwilling to adapt and "copy" someone else's homework. We get it, we'd be hesitant to "follow along" as well but everyone else seems to be finding more success so it might be time for T1 to swallow their pride and adjust, lest they end up getting leapfrogged by the likes of RNG and G2.