Top Esports vs Suning Gaming

The second semifinals match of this year's Worlds is by no means less interesting than the one that came before it, but it *does* leave a bit to be desired narrative-wise. After all, how could it not pale in comparison to what many thought was going to be a clash for the ages between DAMWON Gaming and G2 Esports? All signs were pointing towards an action-packed, skirmish-heavy battle between two exceptional titans of unparalleled strength.

In actuality, however, we got none of it. Instead, we saw a one-sided beatdown that much resembled the grand finals of last year's World Championship between FPX and G2. Granted, the LEC champions at least got a win on the board this time around, but that's a very meagre consolation prize in an otherwise crushing defeat. The fact that they lost game four in just nineteen minutes -- on the biggest of stages -- is something that's bound to haunt them for years to come.

So in that sense, Top Esports vs. Suning will probably prove to be much more entertaining. It might go the distance, too. And no one's quite sure how it'll develop as both teams have entered the semifinals with a metric ton of hype. Heck, maybe that's even an understatement. Top Esports are one of the biggest favorites to win the whole tournament and rightfully so. Conversely, it feels like Suning came out of nowhere. They were never supposed to be *this* good, decisive, proactive, and, frankly, dominant. The fashion in which they outclassed JD Gaming last week was, simply put, mind-blowing. JD Gaming won the LPL Spring Split and nearly went for a repeat in Summer, only to fall prey to Top Esports in a what is now rightfully deemed as an instant classic. They had all the right tools to go the distance and challenge for the Worlds throne but were stopped by a team no one gave much thought coming into the tournament. And so now, after such an immense amount of success, it's about time we gave Suning their due respect. They're playing some exceptional League of Legends and they don't care much for community expectations. Instead, they're focused on their play and have evolved and grown as the tournament unraveled -- a true testament to their preparation and work ethic.

They're the de facto dark horse this time around, and there's this unnerving feeling in the air that they might even be able to pull off a seismic upset. Heck, if they could punish JDG so heavily, who's to say they couldn't do the same to Top Esports? Now, sure, TES is favored here and there's a very good reason why that's the case, but the gap between the two teams isn't as big as some are making it out to be. They're better, there's no doubt about that one, but barely so. Still, these nuanced differences might end up being the difference between victory and defeat, so it's nothing to scoff at either.

The fact that Suning finished above G2 Esports in their very first showing on the Worlds stage definitely came as a surprise. Some might even say a fluke, although that’s a bit of stretch. But it’s becoming harder and harder to doubt long-term potential and overall strength, especially seeing how they’ve solidified their spot at one of the best teams in the world. To stand alongside G2 Esports, DAMWON Gaming, and Top Esports is quite a big accomplishment, further highlighted by the fact that — to the many fans across the globe — these players were much unknown coming into the tournament. They're also fielding a deceptively dangerous roster. Their players are punching way above their weight class and watching them play so well has been an absolute treat.

Le "SofM" Quang Duy and Tang "huanfeng" Huan-Feng, in particular, often stand out in all the right ways, with Chen "Bin" Ze-Bin already considered as one of the most gifted Gangplank players in the world. Finally, Hu "SwordArt" Shuo-Chieh and Xiang "Angel" Tao round out the cast as two supportive figures that are often put on engage duty and/or utility picks. Even though they’re not always particularly flashy, they’re still insanely good at the game and are always carrying their fair share of the weight. The former, in particular, is pretty much a household name and a legend in his own right. If you’ve watched competitive League over the years, the name SwordArt simply has to ring a bell. This LMS behemoth will now face one of his old teammates Hung "Karsa" Hao-Hsuan — who also happens to be one of the best junglers who have ever taken flesh. Karsa’s longevity and ability to adapt regardless of the meta is simply astounding, and the fact that he’s finding so much success under the Top Esports banner — after dominating in the LMS for so many years — is definitely well-deserved.

To summarize: Suning might not have any household names other than SwordArt (who's also relatively unknown to the average competitive League fan), but their players are making waves and have quickly solidified their spot amongst the best players in the world of competitive League. That's no small accomplishment, given how high most of us had them ranked coming into Worlds. Still, it feels as though they just can't match Top Esports. Hunagfeng played out of his mind more often than not, but he's no JackeyLove. SofM is exceptional, but Karsa has been playing at the highest of levels for years. He know every inch of the Summoner's Rift and will not be surprised by what SofM brings to the table. Top Esports is basically better lane for lane and if they prepare well and execute to the best of their ability, they shouldn't have too much trouble in taking Suning down.

Still, we're bound to witness a hectic, skirmish-heavy clash that might even go the distance. Suning will not go down without a fight and, if they perform as well as they did against JDG, they'll definitely give the LPL champions a run for their money.