On their debut day at the ASIAD Hangzhou, the Vietnam League of Legends (LoL) team faced no significant challenges in securing two absolute victories. Notably, in both matches, the players from LoL Vietnam showcased their best performance, despite the opponents not truly matching their skill level. Additionally, the players from VCS made almost no mistakes throughout the two games. Therefore, this can be assessed as a perfect debut for LoL Vietnam at this year’s ASIAD.
Of course, alongside the players’ performance, the influence of coach SofM is undeniable. In addition to making clear meta-based bans and picks, the fact that SofM was able to help his students perform cohesively in such a short time is also commendable. Notably, key players like Levi, Kiaya, and Artemis continued to perform well as they did in VCS. This sets an important foundation for LoL Vietnam as they approach upcoming key matches, particularly the showdown against Chinese Taipei.
However, SofM himself has a certain humility when discussing Vietnam’s chances of winning medals. Specifically, in a quick interview right after the match, SofM candidly shared: “Currently, the only direct competitor for LoL Vietnam is Chinese Taipei. In my opinion, our team’s winning odds are around 40%. But if we have to compete for the bronze medal against LCK or LPL, then there is not much hope left.”
SofM’s assessment is entirely justified as the players from Chinese Taipei are strong but still more within reach for LoL Vietnam compared to the other two rivals. Meanwhile, if they can overcome Karsa and his teammates, then LoL Vietnam will certainly earn a medal by making it to the finals. Of course, this will only happen if SofM and his students give their all in the upcoming matches, with their first opponent being India.