I've been debating on whether to wake up at 4:00 AM tomorrow to watch the games. My brain tells me TSM doesn't stand a chance, but my heart wants them to win. Maybe TSM can take one game from them, but I don't think they can win the Bo5. On the small chance of a miracle they do win Bo5, they'll have to face SSB.. Unless C9 can beat SSB. Ugh.. I guess I will just wake up tomorrow and watch the games.
ParinoidPanda3 votesI think NA/EU improved a ton this year. They finally realized that they had to play seriously and that the NA/EU scene is not competitive enough to prepare them for the dedication of the Asian players.
SSW will win this year, but I think next year, we have a better chance of seeing an NA/EU team win.
Earl Eulrich2 votesThe only team able to beat SSW lately is SSB...and having seen both of these teams I´m fairly sure that SSW will win the whole torunament this Year. The only non-korean team with upset chances vs White would have been fnatic with a miracle-day I think.
Adrian RYC4 votesI guess I'm just tired of seeing Asian/Korean teams in the finals. =/
Earl Eulrich1 votesguess that´ll need at least another year till more western team really start investing as much in coaching as TSM has this year. Some of the western Teams (especially fnatic/old M5) have incredible high skill-ceilings, but they are just far too inconsistent to use their potential and really pressure the Korean top-teams...and seeing how much TSM actually improved this split I think we´ll see a lot closer worlds in Season 5 if other teams follow their example.
MrBuffington1 votesTSM is looking really solid this time around, but that last throw vs SK raised some questions for me. I think if TSM is having a really good day, they could take a game off SSW, but in a Bo5, I don't know how TSM will fare. I'm pretty much just rooting for OMG and C9 at this point, but I'm not sure C9 can make it to finals, even if they manage to take down SSB
12tales1 votesNo.
I'm gonna watch anyways, tho. I love seeing Samsung White play versus worse teams. Their play gets pretty... entertaining when they're ahead.
Fingers crossed for Katarina #2.
SinatraZ1 votesI won't be up at 4 AM. Im just gonna try to avoid spoilers and results and watch matches later !
And to answer your question: No TSM don't stand a chance but C9 stand a chance against SSB.
Old Man Teeto1 votesLets look at it this way.
If TSM beats SSW, they just beat the hardest opponent of the entire tournament.
Even if they 2-3 SSW, that would be impressive for TSM.
Beerstein1 votesNo, TSM CAN play at that level and are more adaptable IMO, but they're EXTREMELY inconsistent. I wouldn't at all be surprised if TSM took 1 game but they can't beat the consistency of SSW. That said I feel like SSB was playing poorly all groups in a weak group while C9 played extremely well even on their losses when down gold so I think C9 can take SSB and C9 also has that adaptability so I think C9 has a chance at taking down SSW but not TSM.
IX MoNsTaR XI1 votesNo team has any chance to beat a Korean team other than fellow Korean teams.
12tales1 votesDunno man, I think EDG has a pretty solid shot over Najin in a Best of 5, and ALL/C9/FNC all proved that our gods can bleed in best of ones.
IX MoNsTaR XI1 votesI agree, there is no doubt that they can win games against Korea. But I'm still skeptical, and I think we should all be skeptical, that they can win a series. I am optimistic, but the realities are that Korea teams are 19-4 in Worlds at this point in time. The key is that Koreans have an unmatched early game, which leads to the ultimate victory condition, snowballing. Koreans basically invented the 3-man early tower dives, aggressive counter-jungling and deep warding to get ahead early. However, I believe this is the ONLY advantage they have anymore. I think almost every team in Worlds this year knows how to snowball very well when ahead, which was the skill that held most regions at a disadvantage in prior seasons, the Koreans having mastered this before any other region. I am hoping, with the continuing infrastructure development, including better coaches, better analysts, and more talent in regions such as NA and EU, that 2015 Worlds could see Korea dethroned.
12tales1 votesThe key is that Koreans have an unmatched early game, which leads to the ultimate victory condition, snowballing.
The #1 seed from Korea is famed for their tendency to fall behind early and play from a deficit, and the world champions of last year were a similar story. Many group stage games have indicated that Korean teams can and will fall behind early.
Koreans basically invented the 3-man early tower dives, aggressive counter-jungling and deep warding to get ahead early.
I'm pretty sure that was Moscow Five.
I think you simultaneously give too little and too much credit to Korea. They aren't dominant because of some secret trick that the West will someday become privy to, or because they're particularly talented - they're dominant because they work ludicrously hard to become dominant, and they do so against much tougher competition than teams in other regions can. Even if the West can hire coaches and analysts to match Korean's, they're still going to have to deal with the fact that they can only play against Western teams.
I mean, look at the people who aren't going to worlds. We've got teams like Supa Hot Crew, Curse and Dignatas in the west, who would be projected to drop out of virtually any group they were seeded into. Meanwhile, teams like SK Telecom T1 K, Najin Black Sword, the KT Arrows and the Jin Air Stealths - all teams that could challenge on a world stage - are staying at home in Korea. The west is sending six good teams to worlds, because they only have six good teams, and that fact inhibits the growth of the region just as much as the disparity in infrastructure.
(This is a big part of why I'm against Riot's decision to limit movement of players between regions and only host one serious inter-regional competition each year - it deprives the west of the opportunity to learn from or theoretically grow to compete with China/Korea)
However, the sword cuts both ways. The Koreans are playing the same game as everyone else - they aren't using secret information to win these games. They're just playing better. A foreign team at the top of their game and a Korean team playing 'meh' would look pretty damn similar, or potentially even favor the foreign team - case in point, Alliance vs. Shield (both games). When we're taking foreign teams with insane talent, synergy and strategic understanding like EDG or Alliance and putting them against middle of the pack Korean teams, there isn't actually that big a difference.
Whomever wins between EDG and Royal Club will be from a comparatively weaker region, sure, but they'll be the best in their region. There's an argument to be made that Shield isn't even the third best team in Korea - so sure, they're from a stronger region, but they're a lot weaker relative to their region than EDG and Royal Club are to theirs. And if I were to bet money on the outcome of the match, I think I'd put it on the Chinese team.