UoL proves that CIS is strongest wildcard region at Worlds 2020

William Davis Published 30/09/2020

Unicorns of Love advanced to the 2020 League of Legends World Championship main event by knocking out Papara SuperMassive in a clean sweep.

THE @UnicornsOfLove SWEEP THEIR WAY INTO THE #WORLDS2020 GROUP STAGE! pic.twitter.com/2kXFy33lH7
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) September 30, 2020

The last match of the Worlds play-in stage was a duel between two of the strongest wildcard regions. The LCL’s Unicorns of Love was looking to continue its dominant form, while the TCL’s SuperMassive had to ride its momentum from knocking out MAD Lions.

It was a battle between arguably the two strongest wildcard regions, but UoL came out on top with a one-sided, 3-0 victory. UoL played an aggressive series, giving SuperMassive no chance to play their own game.

The win secures UoL a spot in the Worlds 2020 main event and a chance to out-perform Albus NoX Luna, who miraculously made it out of the group stage at Worlds 2016 for the CIS region and have been the pinnacle of success for the region in LoL ever since. Albus NoX Luna proved that wildcard regions can complete big upsets on an international stage and with the way UoL is playing, it might happen again.

UoL can be a threat in Worlds 2020 main event

Many fans and experts predicted UoL to be a great team going into the play-in stage, but the Unicorns have exceeded most expectations. Their individual performances have been on point, and they have been able to come together as a unit for team fights.

The team has been playing together for a whole year and it has paid off when it comes to teamwork and coordination. All five players have been on the same page and know what their job is throughout the game.

The solid performances give fans hope that UoL can score some upsets in the group stage. While the team won’t be favorites, they can certainly do damage if they get the right team compositions.

A weakness of UoL might be the fact that they are not used to losing. During the LCL spring and summer splits, UoL only lost two games. It’s an impressive result, but it also means that UoL haven’t been able to learn from their losses. This could tilt the team if they get off to a bad start in the Worlds 2020 main event.

Nomanz looking to challenge best mid laners in the World

Mid laner Lev “Nomanz” Yakshin has been the biggest talking point in UoL’s games. The Russian mid laner has been a force to be reckoned with, especially on Kassadin. His Kassadin is undefeated this year, so teams might be looking to ban it out for the Worlds main event.

Nomanz is known for his big champion pool and ability to dominate opponents during the laning phase. Nomanz has easily been the best mid laner in the LCL this year, and has arguably been the best player overall. Nomanz joined UoL in May last year, after a short stay on Vega Squadron. It’s the second time that he has represented the LCL at Worlds, having attending Worlds last year with UoL as well.

Last year, UoL suffered an early elimination from Worlds when it fell short against Splyce in a close five-game series in the play-in stage. Splyce went on to play in the quarterfinals against T1 where it got knocked out.

Nomanz will now get the chance to test his skill against some of the best mid laners in the world and will have to bring his absolute best.

This concludes the Worlds play-in stage. The main event group stage will begin on Saturday, October 3.

William Davis

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