Team Liquid looking to defend NA LCS title in Oakland
Team Liquid have taken down 100 Thieves to qualify for the NA LCS summer finals.
The match had big implications for both organizations, as the winner would qualify for both the summer split final and the World Championship.
The match began with a surprise, as Cody “Cody Sun” Sun was replaced by academy player Richard “Rikara” Samuel Oh as 100 Thieves’ starting AD carry.
Game one was defined by jungler Andy “AnDa” Hoang and his aggressive moves around the map. Alongside Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho, AnDa managed to neutralize Jake “Xmithie” Puchero and the bottom lane duo of Team Liquid.
Two baron buffs and one stolen elder drake later, and 100 Thieves had taken game one.
Team Liquid got off to a much better start in game two, applying pressure across all three lanes. The game was slower than the first, and Liquid’s composition was better suited for the slower pace.
Team Liquid punished every mistake by 100 Thieves’ Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black, the team used the support player’s poor performance to its advantage. The final play started with Eugene “Pobelter” Park killing Aphromoo, and it was followed by an ace and a victory for Team Liquid.
In game four, Team Liquid had the better rotations and Xmithie was more assertive in the jungle. 100 Thieves tried to contest neutral objectives but Team Liquid seemed to always be one step ahead.
After securing a baron buff, Liquid pushed for the win. 100 Thieves decided to be proactive and to force a fight against their sieging opponents, but it was to no avail.
Ssumday’s outstanding performance in game four wasn’t enough to turn the tide of the series. Xmithie showed why many analysts consider him to be the best jungler in North America, forcing AnDa to play from behind. Once again, Team Liquid had a better draft with a superior scaling composition that was able to build on early advantages won across the map.
At 28 minutes, Team Liquid scored an ace to secure a place in the NA LCS summer split final.
The NA LCS returns on September 8 with a match for third place between TSM and 100 Thieves. The grand final will take place on September 9 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, where Team Liquid will look to defend their title against Cloud9.
Read Also
Esports Betting
Gen.G vs HLE: Best betting odds and picks for LCK 2026 grand final
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LCK grand final will see HLE challenge Gen.G to determine which team walks away with the first-place prize, giving the winning team a much-needed confidence boost before the World Championship. After every top professional Korean League of Legends team has poured sweat and time, this year’s LCK split is finally about to conclude. The grand final match will be between the powerhouse team Gen.G and the challenging Hanwha ...
Esports Betting
Here Are My Predictions For The Hanwha Life Esports vs T1 LCK Lower Final
Ben Boland
LCK fans are in for a treat as Hanwha Life Esports and T1 both battle for a ticket to the grand final, where Gen.G awaits. The last time these two met, they tore the house down. I expect more of the same this time in the lower final. Here are the best bets to make on HLE vs T1 in the LCK 2026 Summer Playoffs Lower Final at GG.BET, one ...
League of Legends
Riot Games eyes Polymarket and Kalshi for esports sponsorships
Michael Hassall
Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends and VALORANT is reportedly exploring the protentional of sponsorship deals with prediction market operators including Polymarket and Kalshi, as per reports emerging late last night (Sep. 10). First reported by Cecilia D’Anastasio of Bloomberg, Riot has started conversations with the two top prediction market operators, Kalshi and Polymarket, with a view to one or both of them becoming sponsors within Riot Games’ ...
Esports Betting
HLE vs T1: Best Betting Odds and Picks for LCK 2026 Playoffs
Hannan Mundia
HLE and T1 will duke it out in the 2026 LCK Playoffs lower bracket final, but which team has a better chance of facing Gen.G in the grand final? This year’s LCK season has been filled with ups and downs. In particular, the top three teams have constantly struggled against each other, but Gen.G managed to get ahead of the fray in the end. Now, HLE and T1 will face ...
Esports Betting
Bet Tips and Predictions For Team Vitality vs MKOI LEC Summer Playoffs
Ben Boland
The LEC playoffs are well underway, and we have Team Vitality taking on MKOI in a do-or-die series. Lose here, and your chances of qualifying for Worlds 2026 go up in smoke. With Vitality getting dismantled by G2 Esports in their opening series, it begs the question whether it was just the G2 playoffs magic, or Vitality are not the team we thought they were. Let’s take a look at ...
Esports Betting
LCS Playoffs Round 1 Best Bets: Will C9 Falter?
Ben Boland
The LCS Summer regular season has finally come to a close and six teams will now do battle over the next few weeks with the hope of representing their region at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship. The first round of playoffs is expected to set the tone for what is to be an exciting conclusion to the return of the LCS. Cloud9 and Shopify do battle once again, ...
Esports Betting
The Best LCS Summer Split Week 7 Odds: Upsets On The Horizon?
Ben Boland
The LoL betting world is in for a treat this weekend as the LCS Summer Split regular season enters its final week. Everything is to play for, from the battle for first place to who starts life in the upper bracket. Esports betting sites are unsurprisingly covering the games extensively, and here my tips to bet on for each LCS match this weekend. This is a series that could go ...
