On the afternoon of May 18, VIRESA (Vietnam Electronic Sports Entertainment Association) officially announced that SofM will be the head coach of the Vietnamese League of Legends team for the upcoming ASIAD. Although the information had been leaked a few days earlier, the official announcement still thrilled VCS fans.
With SofM taking the hot seat of the Vietnam LoL team, many fans began to predict the lineup that will accompany the former Weibo Gaming (WBG) star at the upcoming ASIAD. Several optimal names have been selected based on the performances of these players to date.
Kiaya (Top Lane)
This is perhaps the least controversial position, as Kiaya is always regarded as GAM’s best-performing player in any circumstance. The 2001-born player has consistently been a reliable pillar for GAM Esports throughout many seasons. Even when the playstyle shifted heavily towards the ADC, Kiaya still received ample resources. International experts also acknowledged that Kiaya was GAM’s only standout at MSI 2023.
Levi (Jungle)
Currently in VCS, only SofM can compete for Levi’s Jungle position. And with the former LPL star now on the coaching bench, Levi has no rivals. Moreover, alongside experience and influence, Levi has also shown stable performance throughout Spring 2023. Unfortunately for Levi, his and the GAM team’s playstyle lost its surprise factor at the recent MSI 2023. Nevertheless, fans can still place their trust in Levi for this ASIAD.
Kati (Mid Lane)
This is one of the more difficult positions to predict, as Kati tends to experience a significant drop in performance at international tournaments. However, many opinions suggest that it will be hard for anyone to compete for Kati’s position. Gloryy and Dia1 still lack experience. Meanwhile, Froggy has not performed significantly better than Kati at MSI 2022 or the World Championship (CKTG) 2022 last year. Among the current Mid Laners in VCS, Kati seems to be the most likely candidate for ASIAD later this year.
Slayder (ADC)
In reality, there are still Artemis and Sty1e competing with Slayder in VCS. However, it seems difficult for anyone to surpass the rookie of GAM Esports. Slayder may lack international experience, but he is a seasoned ADC with years of battle experience. Furthermore, Slayder’s skills have been proven over many years of competition. He certainly inspires more confidence than Sty1e or Artemis for the Vietnam national team’s lineup.
Bie/Zin (Support)
Bie has once proven his abilities while wearing the GAM jersey. However, after moving to Team Whales (TW), Bie has somewhat failed to showcase himself. While it’s true that his teammates at TW are not on par with GAM, it cannot be denied that Bie can only maximize his potential when playing with equally skilled teammates.
As for Zin, he has had a rollercoaster career before joining GAM. After donning the yellow and black jersey, Zin quickly made GAM fans forget about Bie. In addition to his gameplay creation skills, Zin can also execute precise calls. The Support position will undoubtedly see fierce competition between these two players, who have been and are part of GAM. Not to mention Taki and Palette are also potential names.
Conclusion
The members of the coaching staff for the Vietnam League of Legends team will have to carefully consider whom to choose and whom to exclude. Every choice will bring about controversy, and undoubtedly, only practical results will provide the most satisfactory answers.