The SEA Games 31 qualifiers for League of Legends have entered the third day of competition, marking the first round of return matches for the teams. After the first round, only 2 teams from each group have maintained an undefeated record. Surprisingly, these two teams are not CERBERUS Esports or GAM Esports – the champions and runners-up of VCS Winter 2021. The two teams currently on a winning streak are Saigon Buffalo and Luxury Esports.
While LX found themselves in a relatively “easy” group with opponents mostly from the lower half of the VCS Winter 2021 standings and tier B teams, GAM, SGB, and CES had to battle each other for a spot in the next round. Notably, CES seems to have shown a lack of interest in SEA Games 31 by fielding their second team. Meanwhile, SGB has been performing impressively, even defeating GAM and ending their undefeated streak.
Additionally, another team that has unexpectedly improved compared to their performance in the 2021 season is Team Flash. As of the third day of competition, Team Flash has only recorded a single loss, with the rest being victories. Although they have the services of Slayder, the absence of support player Palette has somewhat diminished TF’s strength. Nevertheless, TF is showing very impressive performances, and many fans hope they can maintain this form heading into the upcoming Spring 2022.
On the third day of the SEA Games 31 qualifiers, four teams have successfully secured their spots in the second round. First are the powerhouse duo from Group A: SGB and GAM. While SGB continues to prove themselves as the “unstoppable force”, GAM had a perfect third day of competition with 4 victories. Remarkably, they once again defeated CES – the team that had beaten GAM three times in the VCS Winter 2021. With this result, SGB and GAM are the first two teams from Group A to advance to the second round.
Group B was much more intense, and LX – as the only undefeated team in the group – also secured their spot with a perfect record on the third day of competition. Joining LX in the second round is none other than TF, which only lost one match on the third day, against LX, and has also secured their advancement, regardless of the results of the remaining days.
As for SBTC Esports, this team continues to extend their disappointing streak. SE could only secure victories against tier B teams while losing completely against teams in VCS A. In their rematch against Burst The Sky Esports in the return match, SE was unable to replicate their first-round performance and was defeated by the team that ranked 4th in VCS Winter 2021. On the fourth day of competition, SE still has a chance to determine their fate, but they will face AS Esports, who are in good form and eager to secure a ticket to the second round of the SEA Games 31 qualifiers.
Overall, the results in the groups were not surprising for most fans, as the skill gap between VCS A and VCS B remains significant. However, besides wanting to represent Vietnam in the upcoming SEA Games 31, the teams will certainly look to seize this opportunity as a final rehearsal for their lineup, creating a positive psychological foundation for a more successful Spring 2022 than the previous season.