The second stage of the LPL intra-group matches has concluded its second week. On the previous match day, IG and TES engaged in their third round of competition. In the prior two matches, TES had lost to IG, both being 2:0 shutouts, giving fans and viewers a sense that IG naturally counters TES. However, in this BO3, TES successfully avenged their losses. Except for Zuian in the top lane, all other TES members performed excellently, particularly the dual-carries who dominated their lane counterparts.

Renard was outclassed by Little Cream in lane, while Jiaqi in the bot lane couldn't match up against "Brother" in lane phase. Both carries collectively underperformed, and the jungler's tempo was also poor. Compared to their performance in the previous two matches against TES, IG's dual-carries experienced a significant decline in form. Nevertheless, TES's victory was quite normal; after all, they even crushed BLG, and the team is currently at its peak. With normal execution, there's no team in LPL they can't defeat. Their losses to IG in the first two matches were likely just a momentary lapse.

Another match on the same day was AL versus BLG. As last year's "big and small kings," AL's current strength this year is no longer comparable to BLG. The two teams only played two games, and BLG secured the victory. In the first game, both top and bot lanes had strong lane-dominant champions, but Saint and Hope simply couldn't defeat their opponents. Additionally, Xun's tempo completely overshadowed Tarzan's. BLG steadily and methodically pushed forward, ultimately taking down AL.

If AL hadn't made mistakes in the second game, it would have been a sure win. In this match, Hope secured many kills early on, and his equipment consistently surpassed Viper's. Except for the decisive team fight, Hope played very steadily throughout. At 28 minutes, AL held a 6.6K gold lead. Without any errors, simply rolling the snowball forward would have led to a deciding third game. However, while pushing the high-ground tower, Hope suddenly stepped up—his one reckless dash forward directly gifted the enemy a team wipe.

Originally leading by over 6K gold, after giving away that one fight, they instantly lost about 3K gold, and BLG also secured a free stopwatch dragon. AL's advantage gradually eroded. Subsequently, BLG obtained the dragon soul, and in a Baron fight wiped AL, directly flipping the game. Hope's move in that moment truly infuriated everyone watching. He played cautiously all game, then suddenly went berserk in the crucial fight, single-handedly throwing away the match.

While Crystal was commentating the match, witnessing Hope's play, he couldn't hold back and cursed: "Wang Jie, what the hell! If you don't want to play properly, just get out! It's too disgusting to watch. A guaranteed win thrown away like this—then there's no game AL can't lose." Most viewers' reactions during the match were similar to Crystal's. Seeing Hope lead his team into a team wipe, one really couldn't resist wanting to criticize him.

Actually, Bigwei's drafting was already quite good. In the first game, the top lane Jayce and bot lane Caitlyn were both lane-dominant champions early on, but the two players simply couldn't win their lanes. The second game was similar: all three lanes had advantages early, yet a nearly 7K lead was overturned. There's really nothing more to say. To improve their strength, AL might only consider changing players. Hope and Saint—replace one, or perhaps replace both entirely.

Looking at this season, AL's success last year truly benefited from lane-swapping strategies. Previously, AL would swap lanes to develop, wait for jungle and support to set the tempo, and win through team fights. But now, they collapse during lane phase, with side lanes simultaneously pressured, the jungler completely loses tempo, and controlling dragons becomes difficult. If Aixiao truly doesn't plan to change personnel, this year's international tournaments likely won't involve AL, as the team's ceiling is clearly evident.

Conclusion:

From a league contender to falling out of the top four, AL only needed one stage. Without lane-swapping tactics, this team's strength has indeed declined significantly. Yet, absurdly, management believes poor match performance is the coach's fault, hardly considering player changes. If the version doesn't undergo major changes, AL likely won't rise again.

So, how do you think Hope performed?

Feel free to leave your comments for discussion!