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Worlds 2020 Finals Preview

Another League of Legends season is coming to an end. Worlds 2020 only has one more match to be... Radu M. | 28. October 2020

Another League of Legends season is coming to an end. Worlds 2020 only has one more match to be played until we discover the champion. This match will be an epic Bo5 disputed between Suning and DAMWON Gaming. For the first time in many years, we have China and South Korea in the final act of the LoL World Championship. Worlds 2019 was the first edition of Worlds that was won by a Chinese team. FunPlus Phoenix managed to do what no other competitor from their region had managed to do in almost a decade. Now it’s Suning’s time to represent China at this prestigious tournament, but the opponent is formidable: DAMWON Gaming. This is the perfect example of a David fighting against Goliath. And it’s really hard to give Suning a chance.

Suning’s Road to the Grand Final

Ahead of Worlds 2020, nobody would have thought that Suning was going to make it this far. The team looked weaker than its two regional rivals, Top Esports and JD Gaming, and had many other opponents that were seemingly better in every way. So the expectation was that they would finish 5th – 8th. But surprisingly enough, the Playoffs Stage of Worlds 2020 turned for Suning into a regional event. In the Quarterfinals they met a Chinese team and then the same thing happened in the Semifinals. Practically, the Finals will be Suning’s first match with a foreigner at the Main Event.

It’s not entirely clear why Suning was able to win against JD Gaming (3 – 1) and then Top Esports (3 – 1), when both teams were stronger on paper. But that’s not important right now. What’s important is the preparation being made prior to the Grand Final. The opponent is known and I’m sure that the entire team has done its research on how DAMWON Gaming plays and what can be done to counter its style. There’s one problem though: undoubtedly, the South Koreans have done the same.

DAMWON Gaming’s Road to the Grand Final

After winning Group B with 5 wins and 1 loss, DAMWON Gaming started the Playoffs Stage of Worlds 2020 with an easy victory against DragonX. They were certainly well-prepared for this match, simply because DRX is competing in LCK, just like they do. And the previous time they had encountered them, the score was the same: 3 – 0 in favor of DAMWON.

In the Semifinals, the opponent was a bit stronger: the 2019 Worlds Finalist, G2 Esports. DAMWON won this match as well, but not without conceding a game. It’s interesting to note that Suning and G2 were in the same group. The first match was won by G2 while the second one by Suning.

Favorite

Based on everything we’ve seen so far, I think it’s safe to assume that this match will end with a 3 – 0 or 3 – 1 result in favor of DAMWON Gaming. It would take a lot of great plays from Suning for this not to happen. The preparation that is being done right now could potentially change things, but the odds of that happening are low.

 

Photo credit: Riot Games