Major-winning MVP Justinas “jL” Lekavicius is set to stand in for Team Liquid at the upcoming Roman Imperium Cup VI, as the former NAVI player will be replacing Guy “NertZ” Iluz, who will be missing the event due to travel issues as specified earlier.
Following a long hiatus, jL will be back in the upper echelons of Counter-Strike under the Liquid banner. Donning the Liquid shirt in Portugal, jL will be standing in for Liquid from March 12 to March 15 in Vila Nova de Gaia. Given how the competition features teams from lower tier-1 and 2, we might see the Lithuanian comeback and win a trophy right away.
NertZ is arguably Liquid’s most potent rifler at the moment, and it goes without saying that his absence is a massive setback for the North American side. However, Liquid has identified a worthy replacement who can deliver just as well on the big stage as the Israeli.
From a role point of view, jL might not be a like-for-like replacement, and while he might be a very adaptable player, NertZ played crucial roles for Liquid on both T and CT sides alike, making it very difficult to fill his shoes as a stand-in with limited time to prepare.
Liquid’s Expected Lineup
At the Roman Imperium Cup VI, Liquid will be:
- Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak
- Keith “NAF” Markovic
- Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek
- Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski
- Justinas “jL” Lekavicius (stand-in)
One might ask why Liquid is playing in events like the Roman Imperium Cup VI, which all of the big names are skipping, and the answer is simple: Liquid is struggling in VRS standings, and winning this one would ensure a better chance at qualifying for the Major.
Despite not playing the game for quite a long time, jL remains a notable name in the community, and his presence in the Liquid shirt will pull a lot of eyes to their matches in Portugal. Only time can tell if they use him to win a trophy, but as of now, this remains an exciting proposition.
