Team Liquid’s Start at IEM Gyeonggi
Team Liquid had a rough start at IEM Gyeonggi. While other teams were still putting together their rosters, Liquid had some stability with their lineup. They brought in Reignover to solidify the jungle position and shot calling. Piglet, their star ADC, was expected to dominate every lane.
However, Liquid struggled in their debut against Giants Gaming from Europe. Despite Piglet’s questionable champion choice, Vayne, he managed to hold his own initially. But as the game progressed, Piglet made repeated mistakes and cost his team. The casters blamed him, but the rest of the team also faltered. The shot calling from Reignover and support Matt Elento was poor, and Lourlo’s teleports were cancelled multiple times. Goldenglue was absent in team fights. It was a collective failure from coach to players.
Fortunately, with the double elimination format, Liquid had another chance. And they took full advantage of it.
Bouncing Back
In their next match against a wildcard team, Liquid showed their potential. Reignover was exceptional, influencing the game all over the map. Lourlo dominated his lane on Nautilus, his best champion. Goldenglue played a solid mid lane, and Matt made crucial plays in the bot lane. Piglet stepped up and carried the team to victory.
This win set up a rematch against Giants Gaming for a chance at the semifinals. Could Liquid turn the tables after their previous defeat?
In game one of the rematch, Giants dominated Liquid. Despite Reignover’s efforts, Piglet’s Vayne continued to struggle. Liquid lost in all lanes and looked lost in the macro game. But when Giants made a mistake in the mid lane, Piglet capitalized and Liquid turned the game around.
Shaken by the comeback, Giants fell apart in the second game. Liquid exploited the late-scaling ADC matchup and secured an easy win.
A Second Shot
In the semifinals, Liquid faced the more talented and prepared Samsung team. It was no surprise that Samsung won, but Liquid put up a fight. They even had an early lead in game one before their shot calling issues resurfaced.
All in all, Liquid achieved their goals for the tournament. They showcased their talent and gained valuable experience. They proved that they can play around Reignover. However, they need to work on their bot lane composition and macro game shot calling.
Liquid has a lot of work ahead of them, and the competition at IEM was uneven. It’s too early to determine if they can break their fourth place curse. Nevertheless, this is the ideal time for the coaching staff and players to build a strong foundation.