After securing qualification to the Worlds 2021 group stage, Cloud9 coach Alfonso ‘mithy’ Aguirre Rodríguez played down the team’s chances in the group stage.
After missing out on automatic qualification to the Worlds group stage, Cloud9 were faced with a do-or-die series against Australian upstarts PEACE.
Despite a valiant effort from the Oceania org, Cloud9 secured a 3-0 sweep to make it to the next round of the tournament.
However, despite their qualification, Cloud9 coach mithy gave a cautious interview, acknowledging the difficult path that lay ahead.
Cloud face difficult group
With Hanwha Life Esports’ qualification to groups earlier on October 9, Cloud9 were assigned to Group A of the Worlds group stage. Dubbed the ‘Group of Death’, Cloud9 will face defending champions DWG KIA, Worlds 2019 champions FunPlus Phoenix, and LEC third seed Rouge.
“The group is hard, I’m not going to lie. We are definitely not favorites to qualify [for knockouts],” mithy told Laure Valée after Cloud9’s sweep of PEACE.
However, the veteran coach did offer a sliver of hope for fans of the LCS third seed.
“It’s best-of-ones so anything can happen and that goes more in our favor than our opponents”.
Odds from DJ Esports put Cloud9 as heavy underdogs against DWG KIA and FunPlus Phoenix and evens with Rogue.
| October 11 | Rogue | 1.914 | 1.894 | Cloud9 |
| October 12 | FunPlus Phoenix | 1.137 | 5.863 | Cloud9 |
| October 13 | DWG KIA | 1.175 | 5.021 | Cloud9 |
| October 15 | Rogue | 1.914 | 1.894 | Cloud9 |
| October 15 | FunPlus Phoenix | 1.137 | 5.863 | Cloud9 |
| October 15 | DWG KIA | 1.175 | 5.021 | Cloud9 |
While the odds are stacked against them, perhaps it is Cloud9’s turn to cause the upsets.
