I think my favorite game of the weekend was probably c9 vs fox but I'm 100% bias.
But, I'll probably rewatch some of the games as I write this and I'm just really exited about everything.
So, this will get long and I should just get to it! And actually, it ended up being so long I'm splitting it between Day 1 and Day 2!
Day 1
CLG VS TSM
So, I feel like TSM is an utter mess and that makes it hard to judge either of the teams they've played so far. One thing that's for sure is that the top/middle of the pack teams are going to be extremely influx. CLG looked really strong in this game -- not perfect but strong and promising.
Huhi, for me, was a lot more fun to watch and seemed to work to CLG's style far more cohesively than Pobelter had. I think a lot of people are underrating Stixxay. He has some decision making flaws to shore up but experience will definitely help that. Xmithie, Aphromoo and Darshan all played as expected in my opinion.
I felt like most of TSM underperformed and I wasn't even particularly impressed with Bjergsen this game. They didn't seem cohesive at all and even with a mechanical advantage teamwork way out weighed it in the end. Even the shotcalling from Yellowstar seemed off, so I wonder if anyone is listening to and/or respecting him.
C9 vs IMT
So, this game hurt my heart a bit. It's not that anyone on C9 played horribly but they just seemed to be a bit lost Rush and Jensen both seemed to be a bit tilted and without any direction in the game. Balls was not given a chance to get off the ground and I felt Ryze was a fatal choice for the team even before the Cho'Gath counter pick that Huni pulled out. Sneaky was doing okay and Bunnyfufuu played very strong in my opinion.
I think the major issue that cropped up was C9 underestimated IMT and thought they wouldn't need Hai's shotcalling? This is a guess but it makes the most sense to me. It wasn't so much being outscaled in terms of talent overall but C9 just seemed lost. I think they were simply unprepared.
I'm not sure if they would have won if Hai had been in the game but I think he would have been able to help them salvage it a bit and give Rush the direction he needed and right Jensen's ship. They just needed a plan. I think there were more than a few ways back into the game.
However, I would be remiss not to talk about IMT's performance. They did really fucking well and I think that they have a lot to offer. Apparently Huni and Reignover are doing the shotcalling and so far that seems to be working out for them surprisingly well. I will admit to being surprised at how put together they look.
That being said, C9 without Hai and TIP may not be the best measuring sticks. How will they hold up against a team that is more put together? If they get behind? If a team like NRG can punish WildTurtle's recklessness?
Speaking of WildTurtle, it was so great to see him free and back in form. Seeing that also makes me more concerned about TSM and how Regi can have a very negative effect on players.
Pobelter played well. Adrian is one of the most impresive supports in NA and I hope he finally gets the respect he deserves and has deserved for a very long time.
It was a super exciting game and even if I was sad for C9, I couldn't be happier for IMT. They've clearly worked hard for this.
DIG vs NRG
This game was a surprise. Quite honestly, I didn't expect DIG to bring any fight. I was immensely impressed with their play overall but there are a lot of things I hope they work on (I literally wasn't expecting anything though).
NRG was more lackluster than I anticipated. GBM was good, sure, but definitely not flawless. I think NRG is a bit overhyped but show a lot of promise.
I don't have much to say about the game itself. But it does make it clear baron plays will make or break a lot of teams this split.
REN vs TL
This game went on for-fucking-ever. I don't remember a lot aside from great bot lane synergy it felt like between Freeze and Remi. I really enjoyed watching the Renegades squad. I feel like they were more put together than Team Liquid which is very suprising for me.
I'm still super excited for Renegades and want to see if Remi has worked on her champ pool issues.
I think Liquid has a lot to prove. I'm not sure I agree with their decision to keep Piglet on the line up. I feel like his attitude is a huge liablity for the team.
The game was super long and not much stuck out to me aside from Freeze and Remi.
FOX vs TIP
I only vaguely remember this game. I was pretty braindead after the Renegades game. TIP is not good.. that's a huge takeaway I suppose.
I feel like Echofox has a lot of potential but there's a bit of cohesion missing. I'm looking forward to seeing them improve and, of course, more Froggen.
I don't think the game is worth discussing in detail though.
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Tune in tomorrow for Day 2 and my power rankings after week 1!
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