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To round out a brutal day for North American fans, Evil Geniuses might have done the one thing that made an 0-3 day hurt even more: give its fans hope.
For 25 minutes, North America’s third seed fought with the full head of steam they came out of Play-Ins with, fearlessly throwing themselves at one of the best teams in the world in JD Gaming. Two late-game teamfights later, the previously-hidden gulf in class showed as the Chinese squad, led by jungler Kanavi’s Viego and mid-laner Yagao’s Azir, threw EG aside in under 30 minutes to open their group stage play.
The entirety of JD Gaming, but specifically Kanavi and Yagao, came into 2022 with something to prove after a down year last year left fans disappointed coming off a blistering 2020. A tumultuous but ultimately rewarding run through the LPL playoffs gave its fans hope that this could be the year. Many others certainly think so.
On first glance at the two teams’ drafts, you could be forgiven for thinking the sides were flipped. EG jungler Inspired opted for Graves, which, along with Bel’Veth, has become the new hotness as far as carry junglers are concerned. The latter was banned by EG, leaving Kanavi to take Viego, and show that he’s just as capable of a carry threat with a 12-kill, 87.5 percent kill participation performance on the Ruined King.
EG didn’t make it easy, though. The bottom lane play, especially from stand-in AD carry Kaori on a lane bully like Varus, was exactly what the doctor ordered to keep them in the game. Off the back of superior Drake control, they stayed on even footing with their opponents, and took the same kinds of scattered teamfights that JDG did later in the game for the same reasons: decisiveness.
In a group B that’s being labeled the “Group of Death,” former world champions DWG KIA and European stalwarts G2 Esports round out a selection of teams that all have an argument as to why they could be the ones to make a deep run into Worlds. EG showed they belonged, maybe not in the same breath, but certainly in the Group Stage.
JD Gaming will look to make it a 2-0 start to the Group Stage when they take on DWG KIA at 9pm CT on Saturday night, while EG will try to regroup against rivals G2 Esports at 5pm.
