Team Liquid vs Evil Geniuses

The fact that 100 Thieves didn't make the finals is still quite surprising. Who would've expected such a twist -- one that, in all fairness, makes no sense whatsoever? We're talking about the only organization in North America that *didn't* make any changes to its starting five-man line-up -- for reasons that need no explaining. They're the defending champions, so why tinker with something that obviously isn't broken? In the end, though, their pre-built synergy didn't matter much. Why and how is beyond our understanding.

Their 0:2 loss to Dignitas QNTMPAY will surely sting for a while, and even though there's nothing on the line here, it's still not a good look for a team everyone thought would make waves right from the very get-go. Strange stuff, indeed. They were exploited by a bottom-dweller. Nothing more, nothing less. They're still amongst the very best teams in the LCS but they won't have nearly as much momentum as they would've had had they not dropped the ball to such a shocking degree.

Fortunately, we -- the viewers, pundits, and bettors -- are by no means worse off as a result. Quite the contrary! We'll get to witness a bona fide spectacle between two extraordinarily capable teams: Evil Geniuses and Team Liquid, both of which were hyped beyond measure coming into the tournament. In fact, one could argue that this is the absolute way things could've panned out; EG and TL are a lot more interesting at this point in time, what with their jaw-dropping line-ups and the fact that they have more talent than they know what to do with.

Let's get one thing straight: both teams are well equipped to not only tango with 100 Thieves but even dethrone them. If that doesn't make you want to tune in then, well, nothing else will! The things EG and TL have shown thus far have left no one indifferent. They're so darn cohesive and dominant, it doesn't even make sense! To see them style over their opposition with such ease is definitely a surprise given the fact that *both* line-ups had underwent immense change during the most recent off-season. Granted, both of them had upgraded but one would still expect them to fumble and fail their way around the Rift before getting on the same page. But for some odd, inexplicable reason, no such thing has happened.

This especially holds true for the Evil Geniuses who've pretty much made no mistakes whatsoever. They've been perfect, both individually as well as a five-man unit. There's nothing to criticize them for and yet they've had many opportunities to implode and make an egregious mistake. This is what happens when you get the *right* five players under the same roof, individuals who share the same idea on how the game should be played. They're a perfect fit playstyle-wise and, frankly, their best days are yet to come; a frightening notion, no doubt. If they're this good after playing together for just a few weeks, imagine how incredible they'll be in a few months' time! Their opponents probably shudder at the thought. How could they not? No one's been able to best them thus far, and if EG keep playing at this incredibly high level it'll be impossible *not* to consider them as the biggest favorite to win at least one split this year -- if not even two, but let's not get too carried away with ourselves.

Team Liquid are a worthy adversary, especially on a "good day." Still, they haven't been quite as consistent or commanding as we had hoped. It's obvious that they're still going through growing pains and their play -- while undoubtedly stellar -- often suffers as a result. They're not always on the same page, they could be a bit more proactive at times, and their individual play also leaves a bit to be desired. The fact that they have to choose between multiple different line-ups also doesn't help, although that can, in fact, be turned into a weapon (a dull blade perhaps, but a blade nonetheless).

Their biggest "saving grace" is, without a doubt, Gabriël "Bwipo" Rau, formerly of Fnatic. This seasoned veteran has been playing like a man possessed, and is seemingly even more motivated and capable than ever. He's still somewhat of a "coin flip" player, but whenever he's "on" there's but a handful of players who can go blow-for-blow. His play throughout the tournament has left no one indifferent; and his ever-expanding champion ocean? Out of this world. Bwipo can dominate on a wide variety of picks, and he gave us quite the demonstration, too.

He truly embodied the meaning of "MVP" in Team Liquid's Best of 5 against Dignitas; the ease with which he dominated -- both in lane and in the later stages of the game -- was simply astounding. Heck, he's the sole reason why Team Liquid won at all! He was the one "rallying the troops" so to speak, the one leading by example. His incredible performances were enough to generate and provide TL with the leads they needed, especially early on. With 9 solo kills across three their wins and a damage share that would make any mid laner shrivel and feel abashed, Bwipo was the driving force behind TL's success and is no doubt worthy of the highest praise.

Evil Geniuses, however, are on a whole 'nother level. It's like they have five Bwipos under one roof, all fighting in unison towards the same goal. They're a beastly team with an astonishingly high skill ceiling, and there's really nothing that we can fault them for -- they've played nine games thus far and all nine were exceptional in one way or another. Even their two youngest members, Jojopyun and Danny, have dominated beyond measure; and it's not just their mechanical talent but their confidence, too, that has taken us aback. They're always willing to flash in and throw caution out the window, and they have just enough ability to pull it off (at least more often than not). Watching these two grow and flourish has truly been an incredible ride, and, better yet, they're not even close to peaking!

Evil Geniuses are already bearing the fruits of their scouting labor, and it's impossible not to wonder: how high will they be able to soar? If they keep this up they'll no doubt end up representing North America on the World Championship stage in nine or so months. As for winnings the LCS, that, too, is on the table. Funnily enough, they've been the most cohesive and dominant out of all ten teams, and that includes the defending LCS champions as well. How in the world that's even possible is beyond our understanding, but kudos to EG for pulling it off -- it couldn't have been easy, which only makes their impending triumph all the more impressive.

They're favored to beat Team Liquid and, well, we probably don't need to explain why. Their games have been exceedingly dominant and one-sided, and while TL do have the right tools to fight back, they'll almost surely be outgunned by the best team in North America right now. Still, this is a Best of 5 we're talking about; Team Liquid, while probably not as capable as EG at this point in time, still have a ton of experience and can navigate a five-game series with ease -- they have mental fortitude and resilience for days. They, too, have a shot at winning, and will, at the very least, make this a lot more competitive than the odds would imply.

Regardless of the way things ultimately unfold, we have a feeling that this isn't going to be the last time these two behemoths step foot on stage to compete in a Best of 5. They're destined to meet again, and if things pan out as expected, it'll happen sooner rather than later.