AL advanced undefeated but their AD is questioned!

As the only LPL team with a perfect record against foreign opponents at Worlds, many LPL fans regard AL as the top contender for the league title. Yet, many still think AL will fail to win Worlds because of their bottom lane AD Hope, who performed worse than GEN and CFO’s AD carries in the Swiss rounds. This led some fans to comment on AL manager Aixiang’s personal account, hoping AL will keep their top, jungle, and support next year but replace the AD and try again.

Such outrageous remarks were met with fierce backlash from AL manager Aixiang. He directly engaged with fans in the comments, stating that AL’s bottom lane Hope has never been the team’s weak point. He suggested those criticizing AL should support TES and BLG instead, as their AD carries are stronger. Aixiang also pointed out that this year AL is the only LPL team to have beaten an LCK team, while TES and BLG have yet to win a single game against LCK. (Do you think Aixiang’s statement is accurate? Is Hope really AL’s weak link?)

After Aixiang’s comments were screenshotted and shared, many AL fans complained that he was stirring up drama. During the World Championship, the official stance is unity, yet Aixiang openly “backstabbed” in the comment section. Still, some viewers believe Aixiang’s remarks are justified since AL remains undefeated at Worlds, while others tried to “pour cold water” saying AL can’t win the championship. Any team manager would be upset by such doubts.

TES coach’s predictions questionable?

Since IG legend Baolan drew a “perfect group” for LPL, many fans prematurely celebrated, expecting a clean sweep in the next round. Even LPL champion mid laner DOINB predicted on stream that TES could become the S15 World Champion. But unexpectedly, the favorite TES was swept and crushed by KT, recognized as the weakest LCK team, and TES jungler Kanavi faced harsh criticism for “betraying the nation.”

After TES’s crushing defeat to KT, TES coach Hongmi’s pre-match interview was dug up. Hongmi admitted TES is a “double-edged sword” team with a high ceiling but also a low floor. He frankly said TES would either reach quarterfinals or win Worlds this year. Watching the games, TES’s low floor showed: whenever Kanavi struggles in the jungle, he forces his teammates into enemy territory to save face, and if they don’t support, he risks dying alone in the enemy jungle.

Because Kanavi’s playstyle was exposed by KT, many TES fans worry TES might miss the playoffs. Their future opponents like CFO, GEN, BLG, T1, and HLE are all strong. If TES can’t adjust well, they risk repeating last year’s DK disaster (who also had two Swiss wins but lost three BO3s and got eliminated in the round of 16).

Conclusion

Personally, I think AL manager’s remarks are fair since AL hasn’t lost a match yet. Why label AL’s AD as the weak link? Every team has its own style, so AL’s bottom lane losing to other ADs could be due to tactics or champion picks. I’m still looking forward to AL’s future performance. Do you think AL can win Worlds?