Photo: LoL Esports
Either way, a qualification is a qualification. These days, you have to know how to be satisfied with small successes. Even if Rogue did not show a very good face during this 2nd week of the Main Event groups, his qualification remains very good news! It is for the moment the only Western team to integrate the top 8 of the tournament… our little finger tells us that it should also be the only one.
The battle was fierce during the night and even if Rogue managed to indirectly eliminate TES (LPL), we will keep in mind that the Asian nations are really very dangerous… The Chinathe Korea and even the Vietnam are capable at any time of acting crazy. Rogue is warned and the last European representative will have to work well before approaching his quarter-final. We know that the team has great potential, but yesterday we saw weaknesses that must be corrected before being further exploited by their opponents.
The good news of the evening: qualification
Before being critical, it should be pointed out that Snape qualified for the quarter-finals. This is very good news that finally allows us to breathe a little, after the recent misadventures of the LEC teams in recent days. This is a first in the structure’s history, after two inconclusive international outings in 2020 and 2021. Progress is also real that indisputable. Despite the skeptics and despite the lack of hype that encompasses the structure, few Western teams can claim to have beaten Chinese and Korean teams at Worlds in order to qualify for the top 8. Last year there was no was only MAD Lions and this year the torch was taken up by Rogue.
This qualification was acquired in the pain after a somewhat sluggish but precious success against the Vietnamese of GAM. The latter were good players and in the process created the surprise by bringing down to the general amazement Top Esports, the 2nd Chinese seed. From then on and when Rogue had only played one out of three matches, the Europeans could already celebrate: they had their qualification in the pocket. To recontextualize, the team was then in 4-0 after a first week controlled from start to finish (3-0).
A much more sour than sweet sequel
We don’t really know what went through the minds of the players after qualification was achieved, but the team seems to have relaxed a bit. Consciously or or unconsciously, the level of play developed by the team took a nosedive. We can’t help but think of a little relaxation… This concerns both the players and the technical staff, who at times showed sufficiency during the drafts. To cite a few examples, let’s talk about the Jarvan IV of Malrangselected a little by default while the pick is not always easy to make profitable. Trymbi also released a Nasus support. Even if the public appreciated, the champion did not really succeed in convincing.
Long story short, Snape chained 3 losses in a row, against DRX, then TES and again DRX (tie-breaker which lasted 25 minutes). Difficult under these conditions to claim first place in their group and the Europeans logically finished 2nd. It’s not necessarily catastrophic given that there are only worthy opponents in the top 8. But after starting the pools 3-0, it’s a bit disappointing and when you know that T1 and JD Gaming are potential future opponents, fans can tremble. Beyond the results, it is above all the content of the matches that raises questions. So solid in the first week, the players chained errors with small positioning errors or a lack of communication in hot moments. Rogue’s botlane particularly sank, unable to hold up against Deft/BeryL and JackeyLove/Mark. The game against the Blitzcrank of the Chinese was a real torture to watch. We will also take the liberty of issuing a small criticism of Malrang. Excellent in the past and very inspired, he was struggling during the evening and generally helpless. Let’s hope he finds the fire very soon! Rogue needs him and more generally Europe too!