Praise the youth movement: CLG’s young guns triumph over Liquid’s superteam, continue climb into top half of standings

The faithful have finally been rewarded.

To kick off week five of the 2022 LCS Summer Split, Counter Logic Gaming has picked up an upset victory over Team Liquid, proving that the organization’s investment into young prospects could be slowly paying off.

Throughout the summer, CLG has made huge strides with its development and growth as a new team, both with its new coaching staff and roster. The new additions have shown bright moments throughout the split, leading to a decent 6-5 record. This season has also been a godsend for CLG fans, especially compared to the last four seasons where they’ve been a bottom-two team.

During this match, for example, CLG’s veteran mid laner Palafox broke open a massive gap between him and Liquid’s own mid laner Bjergsen. The legendary NA star has always been a feared opponent in the LCS, but Palafox was able to outplay him in lane and late game teamfights. Palafox actually earned himself Player of the Game honors with seven kills and six assists with only one death.

Contractz was also incredibly active, finding multiple angles to engage with Poppy’s Heroic Charge while also kicking out enemy champions with a well-placed Keeper’s Verdict. Overall, CLG was a lot more proactive in the teamfights, playing with more coordination and confidence than their opponents. Liquid were able to garner a significant early game lead through individual lane leads, but they were far too passive in the late game.

Ultimately, Liquid is still near the top of the standings but has had four weeks in a row of 1-1 records. It isn’t a trend that their fans will be happy about since they need to show a lot more strength against both mid-tier and top teams. CLG, on the other hand, has been on the rise ever since the start of the summer and should be a dark horse contender for the upcoming postseason.