Team Liquid vs CLG

With Counter Logic Gaming exceeding everyone's expectations, this is now a far more interesting match-up than any of us thought would ever be possible. And, frankly, we're elated beyond measure for that being the case. We want as many competitive teams in the LCS as possible. They don't have to win anything or even challenge for the throne -- being *remotely* competitive and layered is already more than enough as far as we're concerned.

And the fact that CLG looked that darn good with a line-up that can only be described as "developmental" makes this whole thing *that* much more impressive and praise-worthy. They stood their ground, traded heavy blows and actually earned our respect just two days into the LCS Lock-In tournament. That's about as impressive as it gets for a team everyone had pegged as a bottom-dweller. This team looks far more capable than the sum of its parts, and it's quite an exciting thing to behold -- especially after so many years of absolute mediocrity. Heck, even that feels like an understatement! Fortunately, it seems that those days are now a thing of the past. We're not willing to board the hype train just yet, but we're nonetheless excited to see this team grow and further develop as it has a fair bit of potential and a capable enough coaching staff that'll help it realize it!

Team Liquid, on the other hand, were both hot and cold in their first two outings. Impressive, for sure, but also heavily flawed. The fact that they couldn't field their intended line-up also served as one heck of a hindrance. They made numerous egregious mistakes but that was to be expected. And, well, there's no shame in dropping a game to Evil Geniuses -- they're one of the most dangerous teams in North America and have a fair bit more synergy than the former four-time LCS champions. In general, it's been a flawed albeit ultimately acceptable start to 2022, and we can't wait to see how high they'll soar once all is said and done.

They're better than CLG in basically every conceivable fashion. Experience, veterancy, mechanics -- everything's on TL's side which doesn't, in all fairness, mean they'll get the job done. And even if they do, it's probably not going to be as clean or commanding as most folks expect. This CLG line-up cares very little for the odds or what the community thinks of them. They're playing their hearts out and will not go down without a fight. So, it'll either be an absolute barnburner or a fiesta. We just don't see it going any other way.

And, well, Team Liquid should definitely be the last ones standing once all is said and done.