Why Liquid will win Rio
The Rio battlefield is open. There is no clear-cut favorite for the crown as there was last time in Antwerp or Stockholm. So, with that being said, let's take a look why Liquid, the third-ranked team in the world, will win the ESL Rio Major.
Liquid is currently riding their hottest streak in a while, coming off a successful 1-3rd finish at BLAST Fall Groups and a second-place finish at ESL Pro League Season 16. While they narrowly lost to Vitality in the EPL finals, Vitality, the top-ranked team in the world, have slightly stumbled. Since then, Vitality have lost to BIG, Heroic, and Astralis, a little-known team that won't be attending this season's Major.
Liquid, on the other hand, have remained undefeated since that loss, completing a near-flawless run in the Americas RMR to secure their legend seed, a luxury Vitality won't have. The only other team ranked above Liquid are FaZe, who have recently dropped games to C9, Heroic, OG, and another little-known team that won't be attending the Major, G2. This is to say, everybody else is on thin ice. Since their recent rise to the top, Liquid have staked their claim.
Liquid have what it takes to stay composed on the big stage. NAF, EliGE, and nitr0 have all been in front of thousands many times before. They will teach the young guns of YEKINDAR and oSee how to stay calm and be present in the moment. Speaking of the young guns. oSee is one hell of an upgrade for Liquid, putting up a 1.05 rating over the past few months. While that's not superstar caliber, he is hitting the shots that he needs to let the star riflers of Liquid shine.
On the topic of star riflers, YEKINDAR is an absolute beast in the server. Over the last 6 months, YEKINDAR has had a higher impact than anyone else. He has more impact than NiKo, more impact than ZywOo, and more impact than s1mple. His presence is undeniable. Not only that, this guy is composed against the toughest of opponents. He does better when he is facing a top 5 team than a top 50 team. That's how good he is. He shows up when it matters, and when does it matter more than the Major?
I looked back on YEKINDAR's addition when he was first placed in the Liquid roster, and the space they make available for the young Latvian is nothing short of stupendous. He is given room to do what he does best, make picks. While earlier in the year, the struggled with T-side roles, those become clearer by the day as he is integrated into the entry-fragging role with more efficiency.
The team is gelling together further with every passing moment. They are on the highest momentum upswing in tier one CS right now, just in time for the Major. They absolutely have the players to take it all. Betting sites have Liquid at around a 10% probability to win the Major outright, about equal with Heroic. However, nobody is on the same level as Liquid when it comes to momentum and raw skill. Not only can they win the Major, they will.
