When the preseason leading up to the 2019 competitive season of League of Legends ended, there was a lot to take in. Many LCS teams completely refreshed their rosters with new players, imports, trades, and even layoffs—and the big question to answer when the split officially began was: “Who won the preseason?”
So far, many teams have fallen short of impressing with their new squads. Golden Guardians, CLG, and 100 Thieves all made some huge acquisitions, for instance, but none of them have been able to do anything but struggle so far. Team Liquid, on the other hand, have proven that they are, without a doubt, the clear winners of the preseason.
They won the preseason so hard that now, after their fourth-straight win today, it’s hard to imagine any team in the league could give them a run for their money. Not Worlds semifinalists Cloud9, not former champions on TSM, and certainly not 100 Thieves, despite them being the largest thorns in the side of Liquid in 2018.
So what were Liquid’s preseason roster changes? Well, the organization added two players to its lineup. First, there was Nicolaj Jensen, Cloud9’s former mid laner and regarded by many as C9’s best player. And then came Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in from the LCK. With two former Korean world champions and some of the best players the Western world of League has ever offered, Liquid are the textbook definition of a super team. And they are damn scary.
In the LCS games so far, it’s hard to pick their best player—and that’s what makes this squad so intimidating. In today’s game against Clutch Gaming, jungler Jake “Xmithie” Puchero and top laner Jung “Impact” Eon-yeong certainly popped off on Lee Sin and Akali respectively, but all five players have taken turns being the MVP so far. Whether it’s Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, Jensen, Impact, or whoever else, there’s always someone hard-carrying and outclassing their lane opponent.
Liquid can literally direct their resources to any side of the map, and it won’t be the wrong choice. Why? Because there’s no wrong choice. Anyone can carry, and they all seem perfectly comfortable with letting their teammates take turns in the spotlight. No other team in the league can say that, and that’s why you’d be hard-pressed to find a better team than Liquid.
Even if Liquid drop a game here and there as the season goes on, they still seem to be in a class of their own—and they aren’t showing signs of changing anytime soon.
