TL;DR
- NA teams won only 4 games total at Rift Rivals 2019, with Team Liquid securing 3 victories
- Bjergsen identified critical gaps in map control and draft strategy against EU opponents
- European teams used the tournament for strategic experimentation while NA prioritized comfort picks
- The focus shifts to Worlds 2019 as the primary opportunity for regional redemption
- TSM’s immediate priority is securing LCS playoff position for Worlds qualification
The 2019 Rift Rivals tournament between North America and Europe delivered sobering results for LCS enthusiasts, yet valuable competitive intelligence emerged from the disappointing outcome.
As the competitive dust settled, Team SoloMid’s veteran mid laner Soren “Bjergsen” Bjerg provided transparent analysis of the regional performance gap. Despite widespread pessimism about LCS competitiveness, Bjergsen emphasized that constructive lessons were extracted and improvement potential remains substantial.
“Every international competition provides learning opportunities, though Team Liquid demonstrated the most consistent execution,” Bjergsen reflected. “We identified multiple improvement areas through scrimmage exposure, particularly how EU teams manipulate map positioning and force reactive play patterns from NA squads.”
Bjergsen acknowledged that competing against superior opponents generates invaluable competitive education, while simultaneously issuing a sincere apology to the fanbase. He pledged maximum effort to restore LCS prestige at the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, stating firmly “I believe there are no valid justifications. North American organizations must collectively elevate performance standards for future international events.”
During Rift Rivals, LCS representatives Cloud9, TSM, and Team Liquid encountered overwhelming opposition from LEC powerhouses G2 Esports, Origen, and Fnatic. Regionally, NA managed only four total victories against European opponents, with Team Liquid contributing three wins and TSM securing one, while Cloud9 failed to register any victories.
Contrary to speculation that EU teams approached Rift Rivals with reduced seriousness, Bjergsen suggested LEC competitors actually utilized the tournament for innovative strategy testing. He observed that NA organizations frequently prioritize securing familiar draft compositions, whereas European squads selected disruptive picks that compromised NA strategic foundations.
The interview session experienced an unexpected diversion when Team Liquid star Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng interjected with questions about specific tactical failures during TSM’s difficult match against Fnatic. Bjergsen tactfully redirected the conversation, declining to engage in post-mortem analysis of isolated game situations.
While Rift Rivals victory provides temporary regional bragging rights, the ultimate competitive benchmark remains the World Championship. Bjergsen concluded the discussion by emphasizing his concentration on the concluding segment of the regular season to guarantee TSM qualifies for retaliation opportunities against LEC opponents at Worlds.
Pro Player Insight: International tournaments reveal strategic gaps that domestic competition often masks. Teams should prioritize scrimmage sessions against diverse regional styles to develop adaptive capabilities.
Common Pitfall: Over-prioritizing comfort picks during draft phase creates predictable patterns that international opponents exploit systematically.
Action Checklist
- Analyze EU map control techniques and develop counter-strategies
- Implement diversified draft strategies beyond comfort compositions
- Schedule cross-regional scrimmage blocks to practice adaptive playstyles
- Develop proactive rather than reactive map movement patterns
No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Bjergsen: “NA needs to step it up” after rough Rift Rivals showing Bjergsen analyzes NA's Rift Rivals struggles and outlines path to redemption at Worlds 2019