The 2015 NA LCS Summer Split Playoffs teams size up the competition
The time has come. With the 2015 NA LCS Summer Split Playoffs just on the horizon, teams are staring down who they'll have to get through to take home victory. Of course, they all have their preferences when it comes to making their way to the Finals. We asked a handful of NA LCS pros about who they do -- and do not -- want to play on their road to Madison Square Garden.
Leading the herd
No shocker here: very few are interested in tackling Summer Split kingpins Team Liquid. Finishing the Split with a 14-5 record (picking up an extra win as part of their tiebreaker series against CLG), Liquid's earned a bye straight to the Semifinals where they'll battle against the winner of Gravity and Team SoloMid.
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"I probably want to try to avoid Team Liquid, just because I think they're the strongest team right now," says Team Dignitas' mid laner Danny "Shiphtur" Le. "They can pressure lanes and carry with their leads. Dominate's a playmaking jungler. They're probably the most well-balanced team in the league right now."
Team Impulse's rookie mid laner Austin "Gate" Yu echoed the sentiment. "Team Liquid is probably the best. Or the hardest opponents, anyways," he says. Impulse and Team Dignitas may both be watching out for Team Liquid, but they have a tough road ahead of them before they'll face off. They have to get through each other in the Quarterfinals -- not to mention Counter Logic Gaming in the Semifinals -- before they'll get another chance to test their might against Liquid.
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And Team Liquid's not going down easy.
Their top laner Diego "Quas" Ruiz is ready to put up a fight, especially against the team he considers as a weaker opponent. "I hope to play TIP," he reveals. As TIP adapts to their new roster, Quas believes they'll be Liquid's best chance for a win -- even though the two played in one of the closest games of the Summer Split in Week 9.
"I can get a good duel against Impact, which is pretty good for me. And I know the rest of my team should win their respective lanes," he continues. "So I'll have fun playing the game and most likely we're going to win."
So who's he worried about then? "I don't want to play against Counter Logic Gaming or Gravity. I think they're looking the strongest out of all the other teams. Team SoloMid could be another one. Those three are looking the strongest."
The Rivalry Continues
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Quas may be on the lookout for CLG, but Zaqueri "Aphromoo" Black didn't even mention the 1st place Team Liquid as a squad he's hung up about. Unlike Quas, he's concerned about Impulse's chaotic style, and explains how they're the team that could give CLG trouble in Playoffs. "I don't mind playing against anyone, except maybe TIP. TIP just is more aggressive in general and seems to have their shit together when they're planning versus us," he says.
On the other hand, Aphromoo lit up at the thought of playing one team in particular: Team SoloMid. CLG's ready to crush TSM if Søren "Bjergsen" Bjerg and crew can make it through Gravity in the Quarterfinals and Liquid in the Semifinals. If they do, we'll get to see the storied rematch against the rivals in the Finals at Madison Square Garden. The perfect stage for revenge.
"Beating TSM will definitely boost our confidence and allow us to go far...So we're really looking forward to playing TSM," Aphromoo says. "And it'll definitely be a stepping stone for us, just because it'll hopefully prove to the community that we're not the same as where we always fall down in Playoffs."
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Team SoloMid knows CLG's got their sights set on them, though. "I think the number one team I do not want to play against is CLG," noted TSM's stoic top laner, Marcus "Dyrus" Hill. "You can only lose so much until you win, and I feel like this time around, this is their best chance to beat us."
Dyrus believes CLG's ironed out a lot of their past problems, and that they're a strong contender for a top spot. Aside from CLG though, he trusts in his team's Playoffs experience and in what TSM will be able to accomplish. "I think that we have a very, very solid chance of winning in a Best of 5 against every other team."
Preparing for the series
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TSM may have a leg up over their Quarterfinals opponents Gravity in Best of 5 experience, but one benefit every team's had heading into the Playoffs is more practice time. While Gravity didn't manage to lock down a bye straight into the Semifinals, their support Michael "Bunny FuFuu" Kurylo stresses that the extra time teams have to develop new strategies, picks, and team comps will be crucial when going up against any competitor.
But he did mention TSM, TL, and CLG as his toughest adversaries. "The biggest thing for me is how we prepare over these next weeks, and whoever uses this practice the best will win," he says.
We'll find out which teams have equipped themselves for success when the Summer Split Playoffs kick off on August 8-9! Let us know which teams you're excited to see play against one another, and who you think is going to win! We'll have all the action for you, right here on Lolesports.
Leah Jackson is a web content editor at Lolesports. Feel free to follow her on Twitter @Leahbjackson.
