Team Liquid vs Phong Vu Buffalo

For our first Play-In stage final match, we have an incredibly exciting clash between the North American LCS champions Team Liquid, and the local VCS champions Phong Vu Buffalo.

Now, on paper, this doesn't exactly scream "potential", but make no mistake -- this Best of 5 will provide us with a metric ton of entertainment, and it could, in theory, go the five-game distance, depending on how well Liquid prepare and how they match up stylistically to the Vietnamese contender.

Over the last three years, Vietnam's champion always had a certain aura about them, and this year it's no different.

They're overly aggressive - almost to a fault - and they live and die by their sword. They're going to win how they want to or they're going to lose. There's no middle ground, nor do they want one. From an entertainment perspective, this is great news as they're always playing "pedal to the metal".

To make matters even more interesting, they're not lacking in the mechanical department. They can go blow-for-blow with some of the best teams in the world and not skip a beat. They do, however, tend to fall off a bit when it comes to transitioning their leads (if they even have one) to the mid and later stages of the game, but their unrelenting aggression allows them to fight like they're ahead even when that's not the case -- a peculiar virtue that, as an example, Cloud9 is also known for.

Finally, there's one fact that could hinder PVB's chances -- Liquid didn't have to play a single game and are, as a result, keeping all of their cards close to their chest. They had the luxury of relaxing, recuperating, and coming up with a team-specific strategy. That's absolutely huge in a competitive setting. They have more than enough VODs to go over and find some of PVB's many in-game weaknesses. Coming up with a thorough strategy won't be nearly as hard as it would've been otherwise. And in a Best of 5 setting, having such an upper hand is one of the biggest advantages that a team can get.

Conversely, this could also be viewed as a benefit for PVB. By playing multiple games on the Mid-Season Invitational stage, they won't have any stage jitters when they face Liquid. Not as many, at least. They've also played in the current meta; they found some success, played what they thought was best, and as a result know what they're going into. Liquid, on the other hand, hasn't played a game on stage ever since they reverse swept Team Solo Mid in what was one of the best LCS finals in history.

Fortunately, they have more than enough experience to plow through regardless of the fact, but they could get surprised by a couple of cheesy picks -- the Vietnam special. We've already seen the Vietnamese champions in action throughout the Play-In stage, and while they were far from perfect, they were still able to display more than enough cohesion and prowess to be deemed a worthy adversary to Team Liquid.

They're incredibly proactive, they're constantly roaming all over the map and are -- as expected -- willing to trade heavy blows regardless of the state of the game. Liquid will have to be very careful when it comes to choosing their avenues towards success, but if they play their cards right they should be more than capable at taking PVB down.

This is an incredibly exciting clash, by all means. And while it might not look like it, you definitely do not want to miss it. We have to side with Team Liquid -- for obvious reasons -- but make no mistake -- Phong Vu Buffalo definitely has what it takes in order to make this into one heck of fight. Their unrelenting aggression and unhinged craziness (something Vietnam as a region) is well-known for, will provide a complex puzzle for any team in the world, including the LCS champions.

That said, Liquid already fought early game-oriented teams; they went through thick and thin throughout the years, and they currently have what can be considered as the best North American line-up in history. Even if they do drop a game (or perhaps even two) in this Best of 5, they should, by all means, be able to pull it together and emerge victorious. They're simply too good in order to get surprised, and they know what they're going up against.

Either way, expect absolute fireworks in what could become one of the best Play-In stage Best of 5s in Mid-Season Invitational history. Liquid should emerge victorious, but this could be a bit closer than most people expect.