Team preview ahead of Worlds 2023: Tournament stalwart Movistar R7 looks to gain respect

With one week to go until the tournament starts, we’ll take a look at all twenty-two teams that will be participating in Worlds 2023.

Over the next few days, we’ll take a closer look at each participant, their ambitions and chances at the tournament. We’ll start the preview series at the very bottom, with a team without exaggerated ambitions and chances of success, the LLA Latin American League champions Movistar R7.

MSI as a valuable and hard lesson

R7, like the other regions of the second tier, had to go through a tricky qualification or opening phase of the tournament. The traditional participant in international tournaments was not hoping for a dizzying success this year either. The LLA’s Latin American competition is considered the weakest, and any team that slipped into an international tournament at the expense of R7 remained deep in the losers’ bracket.

Still, this year hasn’t turned out so horribly for the LLA so far. R7 did get their strongest possible opponent at MSI, Chinese number two Bilibili Gaming (0-2). However, the subsequent fixture against Vietnam’s GAM Esports was a brave and team effort, with the LLA champions managing to take down the Vietnamese number one.

While it has to be admitted that Vietnam did not arrive in optimum form, the valuable scalp of the regional top six, the VCS champion, does count more than ever in the LLA’s success.

Rule with an iron hand

R7 are among the absolute hegemons in the domestic competition. Fourteen titles to date from the LLA and the earlier LAN/LLN show who is the king of Latin America. The summer split, which the team clearly dominated, did not change that.

The fifteenth title on the domestic scene moved R7 into a historic second place behind DetonatioN FocusMe in the number of overall titles at the league (regional) level.

The team remained unchanged during the season and stability was key to dominating the domestic league. Veteran Oddie was able to orchestrate the game and his teammates handled all instructions.

Of the Korean duo available to the team, it is worth highlighting top player Bong, who gave a solokill to BLG’s Bin at MSI. His form has been more than decent and he could be an interesting player to watch during Worlds.

Earn the respect of the world

The LLA champions will go to Worlds as total underdogs. Still, the team is not going to be left behind and definitely wants to trouble the stronger teams.

However, the opening match of the Play-in phase, where eight teams will compete for two spots among the elite, will be very tough. R7 will face the champions PCS – PSG Talon. Although PCS has been falling in performance in recent years, this phase is also crucial for the region.

There will be a lot at stake as GAM Esports, the VCS champion, and especially Brazilian LOUD, the main regional rival, are also drawn in the same group. In particular, the eventual clash with the Brazilian counterpart could promise a big battle.

The team needs to play comradely and, most importantly, not make many mistakes. In particular, the South American temperament can hurt R7’s concentration. Better teams can punish any failures effectively.

It is certain that there will be no shortage of surprises given the format of the tournament. We’ll find out in a week’s time if it will be the LLA champions. Maybe R7 will start rewriting the regional historical tables and the region will finally gain respect. A little of that spice and drama is always appreciated at every Worlds.

Source: Leaguepedia, Kaza LoL