The first day of the play-in stage and Worlds 2021 was particularly noteworthy due to the appearance of two teams: Hanwha Life Esports and LNG Esports. Not only do they represent two of the strongest regions in League of Legends currently, HLE and LNG are also considered the top contenders for a spot in the group stage. Another factor that drew attention to these two teams is their impressive rosters, highlighted by the “Griffin Derby” between Chovy (HLE) and Tarzan (LNG).
In the first match of Worlds 2021, LNG convincingly defeated Chovy and his teammates. Dominating most of the game, they capitalized on the smallest mistakes from their opponents, combining superior macro play with outstanding individual skills. LNG secured victory in crucial team fights, snowballed their lead, and concluded the match after 39 minutes of play.
In their second match against PEACE, LNG continued to demonstrate their superiority compared to the average level of teams in the play-in stage. An Ale with an incredibly strong Fiora in the top lane, along with Tarzan and Icon, made the work of the bot lane duo Light – Iwandy extremely easy. The match concluded after 24 minutes, solidifying LNG’s status as a top-tier team from the LPL and essentially putting them one foot into the group stage. Their remaining opponents, RED Canids and Infinity Esports, are expected to pose significant challenges to the Unicorns. Unless something unexpected happens, it seems one name has already been determined to advance directly to the group stage.
On the other hand, HLE did not have such a smooth experience. In their match against LNG, there were moments when Chovy and his teammates gained an advantage over the Chinese team, but it was their own mistakes, starting with Deft, that caused them to lose everything. HLE’s disjointed team fight executions were another critical weakness that led them to fall short against LNG, even though factors like buffs and gold were not too far apart.
After their defeat to LNG, HLE was expected to “crush” INF to rekindle their hopes for the group stage, but they still left significant gaps in their macro abilities during critical stages of the game. Overall, INF managed to regain some advantages twice, but unfortunately for the Brazilian team, they could not maintain balance for long due to the considerable skill gap. A victory for HLE seemed inevitable, but many issues still remain.
The two teams RED and INF, after the first four matches of Group A, are not completely without hope. However, due to the skill gap compared to the two representatives from China and Korea, not many fans expect these teams to cause an upset. Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that both RED and INF left a strong impression after their performances.
The first day of Group A ended as most of the League of Legends community expected. Hopefully, in the upcoming journey, the teams will deliver even more performances worthy of the Worlds for audiences around the globe.