On the afternoon of September 11 (Vietnam time), a friendly match as part of the preparations for the ASIAD between the League of Legends (LoL) teams from Vietnam and South Korea took place to the anticipation of the audience. Although it was just a friendly match, it was the first game for both teams since forming their rosters. Therefore, fans were eager to see the players’ skills displayed through the match.
However, due to the nature of a friendly match, coupled with Faker being absent and the South Korean players being too skilled, the match was almost a playground for the Korean stars. In fact, in the second game, the players from the Land of the Morning Calm even felt comfortable with the picks and bans. For example, Kanavi brought back Nidalee or Ruler “fed a bit too much” while Chovy used a champion in a Fighter role, solely fulfilling the task of pushing lanes.
However, for Korean viewers, the match brought about much concern. Specifically, Kanavi’s brilliance made many LCK fans think about the 2023 World Championship (Worlds). At that time, Kanavi would not compete for any team from LCK but would battle under the banner of JD Gaming. Some even joked half-seriously: “So we will be obliterated at Worlds 2023?”. The majority of opinions shared the consensus: Kanavi had an out-of-this-world BO3 match, exceeding expectations. Many LCK fans and international viewers did not dare to imagine the JDG lineup with Kanavi, Knight, and Ruler on the same team.
Indeed, in the two matches against the Vietnamese LoL team Vietnam, Kanavi was the standout player, followed by Zeus and Ruler. Although Vietnam is a significantly weaker opponent, and the South Korean team had some relaxed picks and strategies, it cannot be denied that the mentality of the stars from the Land of the Morning Calm is very good. With the current form and excitement, it is entirely reasonable to trust Faker and his teammates to strive for the best results at this year’s ASIAD.