Cover-Credits:
In a recent podcast hosted by Dota 2 caster Austin "Cap" Walsha, Team Liquid coach William "Blitz" Lee shed light on the challenges the team is facing as it prepares for the upcoming ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 tournament. The spotlight centered on Neta "33" Shapira, the team's offlaner, who could potentially miss the tournament due to visa complications arising due to his Israeli nationality.
Notably, the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 is scheduled to take place from 11th to 17th December. It promises intense competition with 12 teams vying for the lion’s share of the significant one-million-dollar prize pool.
Blitz Reveals Potential Stand-in for ESL One Kuala Lumpur
Blitz, while on the podcast, did not delve into the specifics surrounding 33's visa challenges. However, it is widely speculated that the lack of diplomatic relations between the two countries (Israel and Malaysia) could have made the visa acquisition process exceedingly difficult for the Israeli player. In light of this unfortunate circumstance, it is highly likely that Jonáš "SabeRLight-" Volek from Shopify Rebellion stands in for 33 in the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 tournament.
Blitz, confirming this potential substitution, stated, "Decent chance he's [SabeRLight-] our stand-in though if we make it, you know for sure since Neta can't attend Malaysia. So yeah, probably Saber[Light-] will be standing for that if we make it."
According to Team Liquid’s coach, the team’s lineup for the tournament is expected to include the following players:
Michael "miCKe" Vu
Michał "Nisha" Jankowski
Jonáš "SabeRLight-" Volek (Stand in)
Samuel "Boxi" Svahn
Aydin "iNSaNiA" Sarkohi.
Notably, this is not the first time 33 has faced such difficulties. Earlier this year, 33 missed the Bali Major 2023 due to similar reasons.
If you have been following the off-season closely, you will know that Team Liquid announced the signing of 33 on 10th November officially. The announcement stream featured popular Team Liquid streamers Brian "BSJ" Canavan, Max "qojqva" Bröcker, Boxi and iNSaNiA. Following this, a tweet was also posted to welcome 33 into the team.
SabeRLight, who is currently on the Shopify Rebellion roster, has a hero pool that compliments Team Liquid’s game style. SaberLight- loves playing heroes like Brew Master, Primal Beast, Axe among others. Liquid loves playing aggressively so offlane heroes with disables, auras complement this game style perfectly. It will be interesting to see how well the team synergizes with SabeRLight- in the scenario where 33 misses out on playing in the ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 tournament.
