Which Teams Will Break Through Groups?
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Written by Peter ‘ZDS’ Tingson
The first week of Worlds 2017 has ended with pretty exciting games despite some predictable results. Read on as I assess and then rank the various regions and their performances thus far.
1. LCK (Korea) – The Overlords Reign Supreme The representatives from the LCK are still the teams to beat at Worlds this year. They managed to finish the first week coming out on top with SK Telecom T1 and * Longzhu Gaming* finishing first in their respective groups. While there were moments where the Koreans looked vulnerable, their impeccable timing and brilliant decision making still separates them from the rest of the competition.
2. NA LCS (North America) – America Great Again? Probably the most controversial placing in my assessment, but I believe the results speak for themselves. All of North America’s representatives managed to come out in second place in their respective groups, with only Team SoloMid tying for first place in their group. Despite their great first week showing, it’s become a historical trend for North Americans to perform well in week 1, only to collapse in week 2. The true test for the NA teams is if they can carry over their momentum through the second half of groups.
3. LPL (China) – Hometown Heroes Royal Never Give Up and Team WE finished top in their groups for a dominating week 1 for the LPL. The only reason they slipped to 3rd place in my rankings is because Edward Gaming had a disastrous performance. EDG need to win all of their matches in week 2 for a chance at the playoffs. It can be said that the rest of the region might be able to make it out of groups given their current performance.
4. EU LCS (Europe) – EU Going Through Hard Times The EU has had a disastrous first week at groups. Misfits, managed to tie for first in the ir group after defeating TSM, standing as the region’s only hope. Fnatic finished the week with a 0-3 record, after getting surprised by GIGABYTE Marines‘ strategy, falling to Immortals, and then getting completely obliterated by LZ. It’s also been rough for G2 Esports, who managed to cling on to third place in their group with their only win at the expense of 1907 Fenerbahce Espor.
5. LMS (Taiwan) – A Persistent Plague The LMS teams have always shown promise, especially being a region that has managed to make the Koreans bleed on multiple occasions. However, their first week performance was definitely disappointing. While the teams from this region have shown that they can stand toe to toe against the best, a persistent problem that continues to plague them is their struggles with converting advantages into wins. Flash Wolves are currently win-less in their group.
6. GPL (South East Asia) – At Least They’re Entertaining By far the most entertaining team to watch this at Worlds is the Gigabyte Marines. They have amazed everyone with their unorthodox strategies and pacing. They defeated Fnatic with an amazing strategy. However when the opposite happens, such as when they faced off against LZ, their losses can look horrible. If the Marines can improve their discipline however, I wouldn’t be surprised it they manage to finish 2nd in their group.
7. Wildcard Teams – Not As Great As Last Year The 2016 World Championships saw the cinderella story of Albus Nox Luna, who managed to make it out of their group. The emerging region representative this year, 1907 Fenerbahce Espor, have it pretty rough. Considering the level of competition they face in their group, it’ll be hard for them to make it through to the next stage.
That about does it for my assessment and ranking of each region for the first week of Worlds. Be sure to tune in to week 2, starting October 12, 12PM, as each group will finish their respective battles to determine who makes it to the playoff stage!
