Consolation prize: it seemed like most people in JT versus GAM predicted JT winning, whereas I correctly called GAM as having the win there.
Bonus points: while TL versus ahq went as expected, apparently it was another game where TL almost lost. The fact that in both of TL's wins they almost didn't is incredibly encouraging to the idea of them not making it out, an outcome I would be incredibly happy with.
I have to say that I was impressed with both G2 and Cloud9 tho. Yeah, G2 won, but I wasn't expecting Cloud9 to put up the level of fight that they did, and that they put up such a strong showing should be something they should be proud of--two of their champions were winning. It's just that in order to beat G2, you need to have all five win because G2 only needs one player to win in order to 1v9 the entire enemy team, and in this game they had three. But Cloud 9 played incredibly strongly overall. Yeah, they lost, but it was a hard-fought battle every step of the way.
They're a legitimately good team, they're just...facing the best teams. And today G2 showed they are exactly that; they are the best team. When they are in top form, they just win. Yeah, two of their five members were behind for the vast majority of the game, but three were ahead and later into the game, even the members who were behind managed to contribute to the win. (Vladimir as a champion is particularly well-suited for that, for instance, obviously scaling into a lategame monster. Qiyana, not so much, but having one or two good ults and combos means she didn't need to deal huge damage to still help win the fight, she played her role.)
I'd argue though that those two members being smashed wasn't them playing poorly, so much as it was, their opponents playing incredibly well. Against different opponents, they very well might have what the casters want them to have; all five members crushing the opposition. And I think they can and will do exactly that. They will win.
Do I think they'll go 6-0? Ehh...would be impressed if they were in top form for all six games, but I kinda doubt it. Still has like a 40% chance, but it's at least 60% that they drop one game.
Butyeah. Cloud9 might not be a team I root for, but I still have to give them praise for at least trading blows partially against what is almost certainly the best team in the world.
I guess it's time for tomorrow's predictions.
In RNG versus Fnatic, if Fnatic can't win that match, frankly, they don't deserve to move on. I think that Fnatic at their best is better than RNG at their best (this seems to be a trend), but Fnatic have shown that they are struggling to perform at the level they need to be at Worlds. I'm rooting for them, but I'd rate their odds at only 60% or so. More likely to do it than not, but it requires them shaping up and delivering the Fnatic they should be rather than the Fnatic we've seen thusfar.
In CG versus SKT...sorry Clutch. I really really do want you to win. But...you're royally screwed. SKT's position as a favorite to win the tournament up there with the likes of G2? Justified. They're going to be first in their group hands-down and they will crush everyone, poor Clutch Gaming included.
FPX versus GAM, probably FPX. Would be better for Splyce if it was GAM obviously, but it's gonna be FPX.
Splyce versus JT, it's another instance similar to Fnatic in that if they don't win that match, they honestly probably don't deserve to move on. This is the 'easy' group. They shouldn't lose to the easy team. If they do, then it means that they're just not up to shape, up to the form, that they need to be to perform at worlds. Yeah, they've competed at that level before and are capable of it in theory, but they need to pull it through or else they don't deserve to. I think they do pull it off tho.
C9 versus Griffin, sorry C9. Griffin are good. C9's not bad, but Griffin are almost certainly just better.
And in HKA versus G2...hilarious as it'd be for G2 to drop a game to of all people the basically-nobody team who is a free win when facing them? Yeah it's gonna be G2 again. G2 have shown that they are in top form and show no signs of slowing down; to the contrary, they are getting stronger and stronger. And while their performance today didn't have everyone crushing the whole game...they aren't going to magically have nobody crushing tomorrow, and as I said...it only takes one member of G2 crushing for them to win. The best Hong Kong Attitude can hope to do is to perform on a similar level as Cloud9, where they don't roll over and die and show signs of life even in defeat.
Soyeah, that's what I'm guessing for tomorrow.