Team SoloMid vs FlyQuest

There's really not a whole lot to get excited about here. It's not a bad match-up per se, but given its total insignificance, it's pretty hard (if not impossible) to feel any semblance of hype. Regardless, both teams are motivated beyond measure and if they come out the gates swinging they could, by all means, end up entertaining the masses! We wouldn't go so far as to call it a "barnburner," but it has a fair bit of potential nonetheless.

The 2022 LCS Summer Championship has thus far been quite eventful. We saw one lopsided beatdown (at FlyQuest's expense) and one wholly competitive, five-game spectacle — a skirmish-heavy brawl between Cloud9 and Counter Logic Gaming. In other words: things unraveled in exactly the way we thought they would. There wasn't any huge, mind-blowing twist at the end and we, for one, couldn't be happier for that being the case.

Going forward, however, things *will* become a bit more challenging prediction-wise. There are now more intangibles at play, more outside factors and complications that may or may not end up leaving a mark. Take FlyQuest, for example. They're a great team with a respectably high skill ceiling. They've had their fair share of ups and downs, sure, but are nonetheless an impressive, middle-of-the-pack contender that has done more than enough to earn our respect and benefit of the doubt.

They're not, however, on the same level as the Team Liquids and Cloud9s of the world. They *can* pull off an upset from time to time, granted, but that's about as much as they can hope for. Beating their more capable peers in a Best of 5 has proven to be too big of a challenge for the boys in white and green which, frankly, shouldn't come as much of a surprise. They've all performed admirably well thus far but some things — some gaps and chasms and deficiencies — cannot be narrowed and circumvented and overcome within such a short period of time. In other words: they're destined to remain a gatekeeper for the months (if not years) to come.

Be that as it may, they still have a few truly incredible players and ample long-term potential. Toucouille, for instance, is one of the very best mid laners in North America, and he has the stats to prove it, too. Johnsun and Josedeodo might not be quite as impressive, but they're still stellar in every sense of the word and have definitely improved leaps and bounds over the last few splits. Aphromoo, too, has done good on his reputation — he's been an invaluable member of the team (nay, a leader) and is one of the few players who are still at the very top of their game despite being as grizzled as they come. Heck, even Philip, a rookie who was sort of thrown into the proverbial fire has performed a lot better than we expected. He's not a Bwipo or a Ssumday but he's still a serviceable top laner and a newcomer worth keeping track of.

All in all, we're quite impressed with what FlyQuest have been able to show and accomplish. There's obviously no great triumph for us to cover and talk about, but that's okay — they did about as well as they could have given whom they had to face throughout the year. They're just not equipped to fight against teams as stacked as 100 Thieves and Evil Geniuses and their many peers, all of which happen to occupy the ever-changing LCS pantheon. FlyQuest, in comparison, is nothing but a feisty gatekeeper — a team worth watching but about as far from a towering giant as possible.

And, after getting smacked around by Team Liquid, one has to wonder: are they cohesive and resilient enough to bounce back? Or will they, conversely, meet the same fate this time around as well? Getting outclassed to such a degree is by no means an easy pill to swallow. It's more of a wake-up call, an indication that, unless some serious change takes place come off-season, they're going to go through the exact same ordeal in a few months' time. A "rude awakening," if you will.

Now, TSM FTX are by no means a layered contender, but they *did* have the luxury of observing the opening round from the sidelines. While others fought and skirmished, they watched and took notes. As a result, they were able to keep all of their cards close to their chest — they've shown nothing and will enter this forthcoming Best of 5 as a complete and utter mystery. Did they do their homework? Did they harness this incredible "gift" to its fullest? We're somewhat skeptical, but TSM *are* the kind of team that can surprise when you least expect them to. They're feisty and resilient, and they've also nothing left to fight for other than the faint promise of a "miracle run" — a hope that is about as remote and unrealistic as it gets. Still, not having that burden *is* a mighty potent boon, and they probably know it, too. No one's expecting them to win which could, by all means, end up affecting their play in the most positive way.

Regardless, it'd be ludicrous of anyone to bet *against* FlyQuest after everything that they've shown. They're by no means a spectacular, layered team, but they can still pack one heck of a punch and are surprisingly versatile, too. If they can take their most recent beating in stride and learn from the whole experience, they should, by all means, be able to get away with the win against TSM and, in doing so, advance further into the playoffs bracket. It's not going to be easy, though — the boys in black and white will surely come out the gates swinging, motivated beyond all measure to prove their (many) haters wrong and finish off 2022 on a "high note."