The match day on 12/02 was truly the highlight of the opening week of VCS Spring 2022, as all four teams were former and current powerhouses in the VCS facing off against each other. While Saigon Buffalo had to contend with a Team Flash that has been in good form since the SEA Games 31 qualifiers with the return of Slayder, GAM Esports had the opportunity to clash with their long-time rivals, CERBERUS Esports, in both teams’ debut at this year’s VCS Spring.
However, just before the match against GAM began, although the official lineup for the opening day was not announced, there were many signs indicating that EGO – the core jungler of CES during their championship run in VCS Winter 2021 – would be absent due to scandals during the Tet holiday break. Many opinions expressed concern that EGO’s absence would affect CES’s performance in the match against GAM, as EGO is seen as Levi’s nemesis – the captain of GAM and one of the most talented junglers in the VCS today.
The developments and results of the “key” match GAM – CES showed that the audience’s assessment was nearly 100% accurate. CES without EGO could not stop the annihilation of the GAM players. Phuc1, who replaced EGO, simply could not match Levi’s superior skill. Other names also failed to perform at the level that had made them “unbeatable legends” throughout almost the entire round of VCS Winter 2021. Sty1e perfectly kicked off the season with his first pentakill of 2022, and GAM crushed “Thần Khuyển” just 28 minutes into the game.
In Game 2, the situation was almost… no different from Game 1. On a day when Artemis and Yado could do nothing to carry CES, GAM’s debut match felt like a rehearsal. In fact, Levi was even willing to bring out a champion that had long been out of meta, Hecarim, and still completely dominated “Thần Khuyển”, leading GAM to a flawless 2-0 victory.
The defeat in their opening match is not too serious for CES, but perhaps right now, “Thần Khuyển” has begun to feel the impact of the drama surrounding EGO and how it has affected them. If EGO has to take a long break, CES could find themselves in a difficult position, especially since all teams in VCS Spring 2022 have the potential to cause surprises.
Before the major battle between GAM and CES, there was a clash between SGB and the 2020 VCS champions – TF. The return of Slayder has visibly revived TF, as evidenced by their strong performance in the SEA Games 31 qualifiers. In their opening match, TF continued to perform well. Although the victory was incredibly difficult due to SGB being very strong, TF had a debut that could not have been better while sending a message to the entire VCS: “We have officially returned and are stronger than ever“.
