Team Liquid is barely holding on to the ‘Best Team’ Title

June 23, 2019 | 0 | 2354| |

#AmaneK #Counter Strike #CSGO #Elige #EPL #ESL Pro League #G2 #KennyS #Liquid #NAF #Pro Scene #Shox #Team Liquid

Team Liquid is currently the world’s best team in Counter-Strike Global Offensive. The team rose to the top partly due to Astralis’ absence from key events as well as their own success. However, there is a chance for Team Liquid to put up their third Intel Grand Slam victory. If they manage to win this event, they have a high chance to secure the second Intel Grand Slam trophy for themselves.

In fact, according to this tweet by MbCarmac, Team Liquid will have a lot of chances to secure their Intel Grand Slam trophy. Team Liquid, however, is barely holding on to the title of the best team in the world; if not in terms of points but definitely in their performance.

#IntelGrandSlam standings

❌🏆🏆__ – 🇺🇸🇨🇦 @TeamLiquid
🏆❌❌❌- 🇩🇰 @astralisgg

If Liquid win a bo3 on Saturday and a bo5 on Sunday, they will be at 🏆🏆🏆 with S-E-V-E-N tournaments to pick up a fourth trophy. Then we pay out $1,000,000. #ESLProLeague

— Michal Blicharz (@mbCARMAC) June 21, 2019

Team Liquid’s reign at the top, however, is not as dominant and crushing as Astralis’ dominance. The North American squad has put forth some really strong performances, but they don’t seem unbeatable. They are a team that can frustrate easily and the chances of an upset to a lower ranked team is quite high.

Team Liquid

The North American squad has made a name for itself due to their inability to finish tournaments. They have lost multiple Grand finals and semifinals repeatedly and have looked very frustrated in these matches. Even in yesterday’s match, Team Liquid’s players were unable to stem the deja vu feeling as Mousesports mounted a comeback. Despite being ahead 13-2, Team Liquid was unable to close the match and the score went to Overtime (15-15).

Here are our preferred bookmakers to bet on esports:

X-bet – Get 110% bonus up to €100

Betway – €30 Free Bet

Team Liquid has a steady mixture of talented players on their roster. The likes of NAF, Elige and Twistzz all display differing levels of skill. The confidence on the team ensures that they are not afraid to put forth aggressive and often very risky plays. NAF was able to get multiple frags through the vents on Nuke yesterday against Mousesports. It was risky, but in the absence of any viable alternative, in retrospect, it was the right thing to do.

Team Liquid continues to make such aggressive plays repeatedly. With their accurate aim, the roster was able to win their aim-duels and come out on top.

A Chance to Become the Indisputable Best Team

Twistzz from Team Liquid — Twistzz has been the key to Team Liquid’s improved performance. Image Credit: ESL

Team Liquid rose to the top of the CS: GO rankings. Part of the reason for this rise in rankings is due to Astralis’ selective choice of attending tournaments. Astralis has been prioritising attending Blast Pro Series over other more competitive events.

Ofcourse, Team Liquid has managed to stay on top of the scene in Astralis’ absence. However, the performance of the team is nowhere as dominant as Astralis during their ‘era’. However, there are still many fans who doubt if Team Liquid is truly the best team in the world. Their semifinals match against Mousesports only put more seed into this doubt. Team Liquid has been unable to defeat their opponents with a wide margin as Astralis used to do. However, this also leaves the scene open for more competition and more excitement when it comes to the CS: GO rankings.

If Team Liquid would win this event, it would firmly cement them as the best team in the world. ESL Pro League LAN Finals is quite different from the Blast Pro Series. Not only does it have many top tier teams in attendance, but the tournament format also ensures the best teams shine through. Team Liquid has managed to defeat Astralis, Mousesports and MiBr en route to the Grand Finals. They need this win as a validation to their own performance as well as to boost their confidence.

G2 Esports

G2 roster on stage. — The G2 Roster at Occitanie. Image Credit: ESL

Speaking of confidence, a team that relies on the same is G2 Esports. The French roster has a diverse mixture of players. The roster includes a mixture of skill, talent and experience. Between names such as KennyS, Shox and the new players such as LuckY, Jackzz and AmaneK.

The mixture of these players means that there is a lot of stress of the veterans on the roster. The likes of KennyS and Shox require the rest of the squad to alleviate some pressure off them. If the team can stand up to the expected levels, that is when KennyS and Shox shine through the ranks.

G2 has shown a great performance so far in the tournament. Image Credit: ESL

G2 Esports has not had any major accomplishments to their name. The roster has been an example of inconsistency, constantly losing against much weaker teams as well. Their inability to maintain a constant and strong performance pushes them down the ranks when it comes to the HLTV rankings.

A few weeks ago, not many would assume G2 to be in the Grand Finals of the ESL Pro League LAN Finals. Especially not in the face of teams such as Astralis, MiBr, Faze Clan and the likes.

The Pressure is on Team Liquid

Team Liquid Walk-in — Team Liquid is the Number one team in the world and the favourites to win ESL Pro league Season 9. Image Credit: ESL

Team Liquid is the best team in the world, but they always have the pressure of proving themselves. When it comes to Grand Finals and important matches, Team Liquid has a history of buckling under pressure. They are the favourites to win the trophy, especially in light of the competition. After defeating teams such as Astralis and more recently Mousesports, Team Liquid looks very strong.

KennyS celebrating — KennyS is having a fantastic performance at ESL Pro League FInals. Shox has the highest number of Clutch Finishes in the tournament. Image Credits: ESL

However, G2’s form is worrisome for the North American fans. The potential of the French team is very high and they can possibly make a huge impact when it comes to the outcome of the match. For G2, they have no qualms of putting out their very best in this match. There are no expectations from this roster and hence there is no pressure. For many fans, the team’s result ( of reaching the Grand Finals) in itself is a success. The pressure will be on Team Liquid to win the tournament and cement their Numero Uno position.

130€ Bonus

Code: EBT130

Rohan

The author

Esports journalist. An esports fan, former wannabe pro and occasional angry young man. You can find him trying to climb the Dota 2 MMR or just chilling in Rocket League. Or maybe building an entire city in Cities: Skylines. The current mood is always a surprise.