Team Liquid Announces Benching of Support Player Olleh at 2018 Mid-Season Invitational
After just two games at the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational, Team Liquid has made a surprising decision. The North American LCS team has announced that their starting support player, Kim “Olleh” Joo-sung, will be benched for Saturday’s games.
This unexpected move is not typical for NA teams, who often struggle at international events. Despite an inconsistent regular season, Team Liquid had maintained the same starting roster throughout the split. However, after just one day in Berlin, Olleh has been replaced by Joseph “Joey” Haslemann, a player the team has never played with on-stage.
This decision is not solely based on Olleh’s performance on Friday. Jungler Jake “Xmithie” Puchero acknowledged that the team has several areas to work on, suggesting that it goes beyond just one position. It’s unclear why Olleh was singled out as the weak link, especially considering that Joey is the only substitute allowed at the MSI.
Team Liquid has a history of making drastic changes when facing challenges. During the 2017 season, the team experimented with various roster moves, including shifting ADC Chae “Piglet” Gwang-jin to the mid lane, in order to avoid relegation.
Despite signing an all-star roster last offseason, Liquid has once again struggled at an international tournament, reinforcing the perception of NA LCS teams’ struggles on the global stage.
Onto the Next Match with Joey at Support
Team Liquid will attempt to secure their first win with Joey at support tomorrow at 6am CT against Flash Wolves.
Team Liquid, Olleh, benched, NA LCS, Mid-Season Invitational, Berlin, Joseph Haslemann, international events, roster changes, challenges, NA LCS teams, Flash Wolves