Team Liquid vs CLG

The sheer fact that we're *sort of* excited to watch CLG play is pretty mind-blowing (and wholly unexpected, too). They were one of the worst teams in North America for the better part of the split, and then — out of nowhere — came a surge that caught everyone off guard.

They are no longer the laughing stock of the region, but instead a very solid, highly aggressive challenger, one with nothing to lose and a boatload of pent-up anger. They're fed up with being laughed at and ridiculed, and they know they're in a very peculiar position: they get to play spoiler. It's a special delight, one that isn't particularly prestigious but is nonetheless mighty exciting. And, better yet, they could still make the playoffs, even though it *is*, in all fairness, highly unlikely.

Still, at least they have a shot and, by proxy, something to fight for and strive towards. They're not especially layered or capable, but whatever they might lack in talent or cohesion, they more than make up for in grit and the willingness to brawl until there's only one team left standing.

It's not the best strategy overall, but it's the only one available to them and the only one they're "good enough" to execute.

They've been fairly impressive and competitive as of late, and we have to commend them for it. Unfortunately, they'll now be faced with the stiffest and most threatening of tests: Team Liquid. Many words were written about their immense strength and potential, so we'd rather not repeat ourselves — you're probably well aware of the nitty-gritty by this point. They're a giant and they *will* leave some kind of a mark, be it regionally, internationally, or perhaps even both. It might sound improbable, but for a team as stacked as this one, anything other than a Top 8 finish at Worlds would be a debacle.

For now, though, they'll have to deal with CLG, a flawed but capable competitor, one that should by no means be able to keep up. They will, however, make it *somewhat* competitive and entertaining, so we would definitely advise you to tune in!