Team Liquid vs 100 Thieves

As far as match-ups go, this one's an absolute spectacle. Well, at least from a viewer's perspective. Those looking to put their hard-earned money on the line, however, would be wise to avoid it. The reason why is both clear *and* simple: both teams are neck and neck, and anyone who comes at you with a confident prediction is either out of their mind or is flat-out lying. It's really that simple.

We could talk about their few flaws and deficiencies, but that, too, would be redundant — they've had about two weeks to shore up their weaknesses and come up with a thorough game plan, one that would allow them to endure the grueling, taxing nature of a Bo5. We could also talk about their vast experience but that would also be somewhat superfluous — we're all aware of who they are and what they've accomplished.

We are, therefore, "going in blind." The information we have at our disposal has been rendered meaningless. Team Liquid have struggled ever so slightly. 100 Thieves have improved leaps and bounds but they also went up against weaker opposition, so their surge of sorts might not be as "real" as it might seem. They're every bit as good as we thought they'd be, but there's still a lot of work ahead of them before they can — potentially — etch their names in history and defend their throne. If there's one team that is equipped to beat them, it's TL.

There's really no good or practical way for one to approach this particular Bo5. There's no sound method, no angle from which we can dissect it and conjure up some kind of prediction — one behind which we can stand with confidence. And it's frustrating. Plain and simple.

We'd generally go with Team Liquid, what with them being so much more versatile and experienced, but it's hard to fully believe in their chances after witnessing the ferocity and fervor with which 100 Thieves have bounced back. They're taking no prisoners, they're pulling no punches and are obviously motivated beyond measure to style over their opposition and make as big a statement as they possible can. They're not a momentum-based team per se, but having a bit of extra hype certainly isn't going to hurt them.

They're all playing such incredible League of Legends, and it came out of nowhere, too — they struggled for many weeks in a row and then, seemingly overnight, came a turnaround for the ages. If we were to judge them solely by their play, we'd simply have to label them as the absolute best team in North America. Ssumday can both hardcarry *and* play weakside, Closer is once again doing Closer things (to his biggest adversaries, no less), Abbedagge is no longer slumping, and their bottom lane duo — widely feared and revered for its strength and aggression — has also shown a marked improvement after a lengthy period of stagnation.

When they're "on", when they draft well and give the right players enough agency, 100 Thieves are a force to be reckoned with. Versatile, capable, unrelenting in nature: they're the defending champs for a reason, and we've once again seen glimpses of their ingenuity and talent.

Team Liquid, on the other hand, have sort of struggled against Evil Geniuses, and we're not quite sure what to make of it. Were they experimenting? Fooling around? Keeping their cards close to their chest? Or was it perhaps an indication that they still have many things to work on before truly challenging for the LCS throne? All of these options are totally possible, which makes *our* job all the more challenging.

And there's nothing for us to base our assumptions and predictions upon either — it's all lingering in the air. Who knows how well they'll draft, whether they have a good enough read on the meta, and whether their best and most important catalysts will end up performing. 100 Thieves *do* have more momentum, but a team as layered and experienced as Team Liquid can never be underestimated.

They *do* have more avenues for success and more "tools" to work with, but that doesn't mean they're cohesive enough to employ and harness said tools *in the moment* and get away with the win. A five game series will test their mettle in a myriad of different ways, and the same goes for 100 Thieves, as well. They know what to expect and how to best prepare, which means we'll witness an epic clash that could, by all means, go the distance.

We'll go with TL on this one although we're not doing so with any particular amount of confidence. You really ought to keep that in mind. They're not necessarily better than 100 Thieves, but they *have* showcased an incredible ability to adapt — both throughout the split *and* mid-series — and those virtues might end up a world of difference. That's just a guess, though, and even though it's rooted in rationality and healthy logic, it should by no means be taken as gospel. 100 Thieves are capable of producing mind-blowing plays, and if they come out the gates hungry and motivated they'll definitely stand an equal chance of getting their hands raised — doubly so if Closer shows up and styles over Santorin, much like he did in the past.

Either way, brace yourself for one heck of a series!