Introduction: The S15 season has officially kicked off, and I trust that the vast majority of players have been following the recent matches closely, especially the fierce competition in the third stage of the LPL region. The AL team is well-known, and their performance has been stable in recent confrontations. After participating in two world-class competitions, people's perceptions of them have changed significantly. Although they did not win the final championship, many believe they have grown rapidly. However, upon returning to the LPL region, they suffered two consecutive defeats and even earned a new nickname: 'Full Champion.' It seems that whenever the Korean jungle support player falters, the AL team struggles to find their rhythm.
I believe most players still pay considerable attention to the AL team. As the champions of the second stage in the LPL region, they represented LPL in two world-class events, including the MSI tournament, where they lost to T1 in the loser's finals. In the Oil Cup competition, they achieved consecutive victories over HLE and T1 but ultimately lost to GEN. Although the AL team did not secure championships in these two tournaments, they excited their fans. Many believe that this season brings new hope for LPL, and the AL team has a strong chance of competing for the world championship. However, after returning to the LPL region, the AL team faced two consecutive defeats against BLG and WBG.
The match against WBG truly had fans on edge. In the first game, the AL team performed consistently, executing perfect coordination within six minutes to secure a double kill. Subsequently, Tarzan controlled the game's rhythm, relentlessly pursuing the opposing jungler, Xiaotian. The match lasted only 29 minutes, with the AL team easily destroying the opponent's base, and AD player Hope achieved MVP with an 8-0 record. In the second game, WBG's performance improved significantly; they took off early, with AD player Light executing a solo kill. Xiaotian's roaming was flawless, and Xiaohu's Azir was also very stable. Within 20 minutes, WBG had essentially secured the match's momentum and entered a performance state.
In the third game, WBG's mid-jungle synergy continued to shine. Early on, Xiaotian collaborated with Xiaohu to exploit the mid-lane champion, Chovy, while also gaining an advantage in the dragon contest, securing the water dragon soul. Although this match lasted 31 minutes, it was clear that WBG was nearly impossible to defeat by mid-game. After this match, the AL team faced two consecutive losses in the third stage, both of which were instances of being reversed from a winning position. Consequently, the AL team's new nickname 'Full Champion' emerged, suggesting that as long as they play the match out, they cannot win.
To be honest, after watching the matches, it seems that the current AL team is struggling with their jungle and support performance. Analyzing the AL team's game situation, whenever Tarzan and Kael are underperforming, the entire team resembles headless chickens. This means that the three players in the top, mid, and bottom lanes often just follow the flow of the game. After enduring two rounds of grueling world-class competitions, several players are evidently fatigued. The matches began on the 26th, with training only starting on the 25th. It appears that the AL team genuinely needs some time to adjust; otherwise, their current state could rapidly decline.
The mid-laner Chovy, top-laner Saint and AD Hope struggle to generate rhythm. In the recent two matches, the victories were solely due to jungler Tarzan establishing the tempo early on. If Tarzan is suppressed by the opposing jungler, the AL team's mid-game becomes almost defenseless, which might be a serious issue within the team. Of course, the high-intensity matches recently could have left all players mentally and physically exhausted. After all, even the two-time champions GEN were defeated by T1.
What do you all think about this situation, dear viewers?