Recently, the draw placed the Vietnamese League of Legends team in a group that includes Japan and Palestine. In contrast to South Korea’s group (facing Kazakhstan and Hong Kong), Vietnam’s group is considered the “easiest” and most favorable. Even if they advance to the quarter-finals, Vietnam will still face opponents that are not highly regarded. The biggest rival for the Vietnamese team at this ASIAD, except for the finals, is likely to be Chinese Taipei.
With many opponents being significantly weaker, the possibility of Vietnam reaching the finals is entirely plausible. According to various analyses, fans in Vietnam have every reason to place their trust in SofM and his team at the upcoming ASIAD.
The Journey Couldn’t Be Simpler
As analyzed above, Vietnam’s group is quite simple. Of course, Japan should not be underestimated, as many of their players are quite famous, such as Yutapon and Gismo. However, when facing VCS teams in international tournaments (MSI, World Championship), LJL teams have never achieved positive results, even with Korean players on their roster.
The other opponent, Palestine, has virtually no information available on League of Legends community channels. As long as they stay focused, a victory is well within reach for the Vietnamese players.
The Skill Gap is Difficult to Bridge
Admittedly, 3 out of 6 members of the Vietnamese League of Legends team for ASIAD just went through a forgettable MSI, and even lost to another wildcard team, but that was MSI. Furthermore, Movistar R7 is always a familiar name in international League of Legends tournaments. Meanwhile, aside from Yutapon and the Chinese Taipei team, the remaining players from other teams have not even experienced the atmosphere of professional League of Legends.
Therefore, the significant skill gap is a factor that can be relied upon to believe Vietnam will go far. Not to mention, the current members of the Vietnamese League of Legends team, except for Artemis and Gloryy, have played together for many years and have substantial international experience. Support player Bie is a former member of GAM Esports and just parted ways with the yellow and black jersey at the beginning of 2023.
The “Earthquake” Named GAM
VCS teams and players always bring many exciting surprises, and at the World Championship 2022, it was the “earthquake” known as GAM. It was this representative from VCS, not any other powerful name, that directly “sent” Top Esports – the LPL Summer 2022 runner-up back home in bitter disappointment right after the group stage.
At this ASIAD, Vietnam’s League of Legends team has no pressure whatsoever. With a relaxed mindset, there is ample reason to believe that the Vietnamese players will create another surprise. After all, 4 out of 6 members of the current League of Legends lineup have previously contributed to the victory against TES mentioned above.