Just a few hours ago, Saigon Buffalo entered their crucial match at MSI 2022 against Royal Never Give Up – the defending champions. While not many believed that SGB could pull off a surprise, fans of VCS certainly hoped that the “Buffalo Herd” would give it their all. After all, with just one more loss, SGB would officially be out of MSI 2022.
In reality, SGB did not disappoint their VCS fans or the international League of Legends community. The players of the “Buffalo Herd” delivered what could be considered their best performance since the Rumble Stage began. Notably, Froggy – the player under the most scrutiny – shone the brightest. His champion Ahri truly confused veteran player Xiaohu. Meanwhile, ADC GALA was constantly exploited, going down four times – a rare occurrence for a Chinese ADC in this MSI 2022.
However, just when it seemed that SGB could cause an upset, RNG’s experience and composure came into play. With just a few decisive team fight victories, RNG regained all their advantages. The match ended in heartbreak as SGB was swept away, and RNG surged into the Mid Lane, concluding the game amid the disappointment of the VCS community.
This loss is truly disappointing as the SGB members played exceptionally well. However, the gap was not only in skill; RNG’s members demonstrated more experience and composure. Even when SGB secured kill advantages, RNG maintained the discrepancy at a manageable level. This truly saddened not only VCS fans but also the global League of Legends community.
This defeat has made SGB the first team eliminated from MSI 2022. Nevertheless, these are invaluable experiences for the young players of the “Buffalo Herd” on their career journey. Especially in their last match of day four of the Rumble Stage, SGB secured a victory against PSG Talon. Although a late victory, it remains a beautiful memory for SGB players in their first appearance at an international tournament.
