SGB was also called out after T1’s victory at MSI 2023.
On May 9th (Vietnam time), Gen.G made their debut with a resounding victory against G2 Esports – a very strong representative from LEC. On May 10th, another name from LCK took to the stage, namely T1. Their opponent was the current LEC Spring 2023 champion – MAD Lions. However, it was clear that the “Lions” were rated lower than Faker and his teammates.
However, T1’s swift destruction of MAD was even quicker than Gen.G’s victory over G2, which was truly surprising. Even more surprisingly, there was a moment when MAD was very close to a victory, leading T1 by nearly 8k gold in the first game. But no one understood why MAD allowed T1 to turn the tide, and the next two games were summed up in the word “destruction” by the Spring 2023 LCK runner-up.
Witnessing their team’s defeat, fans from the LEC region could not hide their disappointment. Although winning against T1 has never been easy, losing so quickly like MAD was something no one expected. In fact, the third game between the two teams was the fastest ending game at MSI 2023 so far, ending in just 16 minutes and 50 seconds.
On many forums, numerous opinions suggested that MAD did not deserve to come to MSI 2023 as the defending champions. Even G2 was also “caught in the crossfire” as LEC fans argued that it was G2’s “throwing the game” that allowed MAD to become champions. Jankos – the former G2 star even bluntly stated: “Look, they destroyed our champion in just 16 minutes of play”.
Not stopping there, some even brought up… Saigon Buffalo to mock MAD. According to this opinion, it stated: “Last year, a Vietnamese team called SGB faced T1 at MSI. Even a team from such a small region, being the runner-up, could not finish the game before the 20th minute. Yet MAD managed to do what all wildcard teams couldn’t do”.
– “That’s how a Major plays against a wildcard team”
– “It should have been VIT going instead; I think it would have been more interesting”
– “I think this MSI is just another chance for T1 and Gen.G to compete with each other”
– “I didn’t think the gap between LCK and LEC mid-laners was that wide. Plus, Faker is seen by many over there as old and past his prime”
– “The way Faker played Nautilus makes Riot think about permanently banning this champion at this year’s MSI”.
Of course, the skill gap is clear. But MAD’s quick loss to T1 also surprised many people. Perhaps, LEC is indeed strong enough, but the gap between them and LCK teams still remains too wide at this point.