The final LCO week is upon us. Each team has two games left to improve their position and lock themselves into the playoffs. Every win and loss could be the difference between a bye, side selection, starting in the lower bracket, or making playoffs entirely.
The top four is still a tight scuffle. Order and Pentanet come into this week tied for first, with each on 14 wins after Order was able to halt the Split 1 champs’ ten-game winning streak. The Chiefs and Dire Wolves find themselves one and two games behind respectively, and looking to pounce into the top two.
Where the true battle lies, however, is down lower, with the battle for fifth. Peace, having picked up a win for the first time in three weeks, find themselves in the driver’s seat for the last spot, but Legacy and Gravitas still hover.
Week 9 begins with Order and Dire Wolves facing off.
Having completed the rotation of beating every team in the league in a row, the Melbourne squad now turns to securing a top seed in the playoffs, while the Wolfpack will want to keep up; a loss here damns them to third at best.
Gravitas will want to keep their season alive against Mammoth, needing to grab the win to keep up the chase. In the final game of the day, Pentanet and the Chiefs square up, with the minor premiership still very much on the line.
The day’s most important will be the last, as Peace takes on Legacy in a matchup that could all but decide the battle for the final spot.
Taylor’s Pick of the Week: PCE vs LGC
Playoffs. Every team in this league has a different motivation and aspiration they would like to achieve with each split and each season. Whilst they all may be slightly different every single team goal has something this one thing in common: playoffs and best-of-five series.
Coming into this week, both Peace and Legacy have yet to hit that goal.
For both squads, their games this round are must-win; for Peace, a win here basically locks up the final spot in the postseason, while Legacy need the victory to keep their chances alive heading into Wednesday’s closing day.
Peace have got themselves back into the winning column, finally, though it took a game against Mammoth and a return to the Violet/Aladoric bot lane to get there. They still are yet to find their big win since Tally joined the team mid-split, and this might be their best chance to get a celebration-worthy triumph.
Legacy sees themselves coming into this week with four straight losses – but have been able to trade blows with all of their opponents in the last fortnight.
One thing coming into this matchup in their favour is their previous two encounters against Peace, which they won comfortably. They have come up against and taken down two different configurations of the Peace lineup and there is nothing stopping them from taking down a third time.
Taylor’s Week 9 Day 1 Predictions
- Order def. Dire Wolves
- Legacy def. Peace
- Gravitas def. Mammoth
- Pentanet def. Chiefs
Week 9 of the LCO starts today: Peace vs Legacy kicks off at 7pm (AEST). Catch up on all the LCO 2021 Split 2 details in our ultimate coverage hub.
