T1’s defeat exposes a “critical” weakness
Entering the match against Gen.G, of course, T1 fans were hoping for a victory but also braced for potential risks. However, T1’s defeat was more lopsided than the audience could have imagined. There was no struggle; it felt like it was a show put on by Gen.G from start to finish. And T1 revealed a critical weakness in this match: champion pool issues.
Specifically, the Red team has always been designed to counter the bans and picks of the Blue team, creating a foundation for victory. Of course, the Red side also has some drawbacks as strong ban picks can easily be chosen or banned by the Blue side first. And T1’s already limited champion pool was thoroughly exploited. Faker used Aurora against Orianna, while Ambessa was not an effective matchup against Sion. Especially, Gumayusi used Kai’Sa but allowed the opponent to counter with Poppy.
In fact, looking at the picks and bans of both teams, it feels like Gen.G not only had power picks but also champions that countered T1 effectively. That is, they had effective bans for the Blue team while also taking the strongest champions from the Red team.
T1 is on the brink of the “abyss”
T1’s current situation could be described as being in a “death door”, as the 1-2 bracket has almost no names that could cause them trouble, except for BLG. However, even if they can advance deep, it will be difficult for T1 to claim the title if they do not rectify this weakness or find a way to maximize their strengths to compensate for this weakness.
One of the most challenging opponents for Doran is Bin, who has fallen to the 1-2 bracket after a surprising defeat to G2. And it may be in the future, when fate brings the two teams together, this will truly be a life-and-death match for this year’s World Championship.