Team Dignitas vs Golden Guardians

For our first game of the day we have a rather uninteresting opener: Dignitas vs. Golden Guardians. By and large, this is the kind of clash you either watch on 2X speed or skip entirely. Still, it's important in more ways than one and it could, potentially, entertain us in all the right ways. Well, there's a chance, at least, even though it's pretty minuscule in nature.

The one reason you *should* tune in, however, is Dignitas. And even writing such a thing feels surreal. Since when did this ragtag bunch of Academy players (and two grizzled veterans who are past their prime) warrant so much attention? No one's quite sure, but there *was* a point during the split when Dignitas kicked things into overdrive and started stringing wins like it's nothing. They're not a top-tier challenger, mind you, but they're not far off either. Their 8W-5L record tells the same tale as well. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that they've consistently been able to tango with the very best teams in the LCS, and they've even won more often than not. That, in itself, is just astounding. There's nothing overly impressive that comes to mind when you see their line-up in action — they're good but far from great. They're talented, but they pale in comparison to their more seasoned peers and bona fide superteams like Cloud9 and Team Liquid.

But Dignitas couldn't care less, and that, in a way, is their biggest strength. Nay, it's a superpower at this point. They're playing without any fear or reserve which makes sense -- no one's giving them much of a chance, so why not throw caution out the window and play like there's no tomorrow? The resurgence of Dardoch and Aphromoo couldn't have happened at a better time, but they're not the only ones doing the heavy lifting — their less seasoned colleagues are playing their hearts out, too! They're coming into today's match with quite a lot of hype, and the fact that they outclassed Team SoloMid yesterday (yet again) means they're all but guaranteed to reach the playoffs and compete with the very best teams that North America has to offer.

Beating the Golden Guardians at this point seems like the easiest thing in the world. GGS are by no means a pushover, but they're not as good or cohesive as Dignitas. Still, they're a feisty bunch and they'll surely give DIG a run for their money. In the end, however, the boys in black and yellow should definitely be able to get the "W" and lock down a spot in the playoffs.