TL;DR
- Doublelift publicly defended teammates Impact and Jensen against unfair criticism following Team Liquid’s Worlds elimination
- Team Liquid entered as NA’s top hope after MSI finals and LCS dominance but fell short in Group D
- The AD carry emphasized that individual mistakes don’t lose games alone, highlighting team responsibility
- NA suffered its worst Worlds performance since 2015 with no teams advancing from groups
- Doublelift believed his team was strong but unlucky, unable to showcase their true potential
Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, the star AD carry for Team Liquid, has taken a public stance supporting his teammates amidst harsh criticism following their unexpected departure from the 2019 League of Legends World Championship group stage.
Leading up to the international tournament, Team Liquid represented North America’s strongest contender for success. Their impressive resume included reaching the championship match at the Mid-Season Invitational and achieving complete dominance by securing victories in both seasonal splits of the LCS.
However, their Worlds campaign concluded prematurely with a 3-3 record in the group stage, insufficient to progress to the knockout rounds. Competing in the notoriously difficult Group D, they encountered formidable opponents including Damwon Gaming from Korea’s LCK and the defending world title holders Invictus Gaming from China.
Through a social media video shared on Twitter, Doublelift came to the defense of his fellow players who faced intense scrutiny from the community, particularly focusing on the performances of top laner Jung “Impact” Eon-yeong and mid lane specialist Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen. He articulated that competitive matches aren’t determined by isolated errors but require collective contribution from all five members to secure victory.
Doublelift’s Perspective on Team Dynamics and Accountability
“I believe Jensen and Impact receive a disproportionate amount of blame, and I strongly dislike this dynamic as it proves detrimental to team cohesion. Reflecting on my time with TSM, I wished my colleagues had supported me publicly, so now I feel compelled to advocate for my current teammates when they face unjust criticism,” Doublelift expressed.
The renowned bot lane specialist acknowledged that both the team collectively and individual competitors had committed errors, noting how these missteps become magnified “like a sore thumb” on such a prominent platform as the World Championship. However, he also clarified that just as a single outstanding play from one competitor doesn’t guarantee match victory, an individual mistake alone doesn’t cause defeat either.
Following his team advocacy, Doublelift provided deeper understanding about his emotional response to their early tournament exit and the challenge of competing in such a competitive bracket.
“In my assessment, we genuinely fielded a powerful squad this season. More than previous competitive years, we possessed a formidable team that simply encountered unfortunate circumstances,” Doublelift reflected. “I’m convinced we had the capability to defeat any opponent, which explains why this elimination stung so profoundly—we couldn’t demonstrate our actual capabilities.”
No North American representative managed to advance beyond the initial group phases, with the region accumulating a disappointing 5-13 combined record largely attributable to third-seeded Clutch Gaming failing to secure any victories. This represents the inaugural instance since 2015 where no LCS organization reached the elimination bracket, creating particular disillusionment following Cloud9’s impressive semifinal appearance in 2018.
The quarterfinal matches for Worlds 2019 commence on October 26th featuring Griffin against Invictus Gaming.
Action Checklist
- Review team communication patterns during high-pressure matches
- Analyze individual player statistics across multiple tournaments
- Compare regional performance metrics across different World Championships
- Study draft phase strategies against international opponents
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