The League of Legends offseason is still ongoing for many squads, but vacation time is over for others. As the Intel Extreme Masters in Gyeonggi, South Korea looms, eight teams take on one another for a chance to qualify to IEM Katowice, a distant matter in esports terms. However, the stakes lie outside of the ticket to Katowice. Riots latest balance patches as well as roster changes constitute challenges that need overcoming, and IEM is a step towards both.Group AVega Squadron Samsung Galaxy Immortals J teamGroup BDark Passage Kongdoo Monster Team Liquid Giants GamingSamsung and Kongdoo lead the packContestants have a tough ordeal ahead of them as they face World Championship finalists Samsung Galaxy and Kongdoo Monster, the squad that took a second-place finish at the 2016 KeSPA Cup Finals.The two teams have retained the core of their lineups that have allowed them to reach their objectives in 2016; Samsungs starting lineup took SK Telecom T1 to the brink in the World Championship finals (losing 3-2), and Kongdoo dispatched ESC Ever 3-1 to qualify for the LoL Champions Korea Spring 2017.The two teams have bullseyes drawn over them as they are favorites to qualify from their groups, if only due to team chemistry and skill levels. However, recent balance patches may throw a wrench in Samsung Galaxys takeover plans, should their playstyle no longer fit the mold of the ever-changing metagame.Changes aboundIEM Gyeonggi hosts a number of teams that have undergone changes to varying degrees. Taiwans representative, J Team, is the least affected team, with Chen Achie Chen-Chi switching roles and taking over Chen REFRA1N Kuan-Tings spot, adding an element of mystery to the squad.On the other hand, Team Liquid, Dark Passage and Giants are rebuilding around their core members -- either out of necessity or willingly -- whereas Immortals have pressed the rebuild button and are fielding a new roster around Eugene Pobelter Park.Among them, Team Liquids roster seems most promising on paper, with 2017 NA LCS Summer MVP Kim Reignover Yeu-jin leading the charge and helping Samson Lourlo Jackson, Greyson Goldenglue Gilmer and Chae Piglet Gwang-jin leverage advantages throughout the game. The squad may show early signs of strength, provided Goldenglue holds his own, which may be challenging against players of Lee Crown Min-hos caliber.Dismissing Immortals as nonfactors would be a great slight, as they house the up-and-coming Cody Sun as well as proven veteran Lee Flame Ho-jong, former Hong Kong Esports support Kim Olleh Joo-sung, and emerging star Joshua Dardoch Hartnett. Such a squad may not be as gun-shy as its previous iteration outside of the top lane.As for Giants, some of their players have an opportunity to make a name for themselves. The opportunity for Olof Flaxxish Medin to test his mettle against Flame, Samsung Galaxys CuVee, and others may represent a milestone in his career, but he may rely more on NighT and Hustlins mayhem-creating prowess across the map. If Mightybear is on par with Nubar Maxlore Sarafian, and if Elias Upset Lipp proves devastating outside of the European Challenger circuit, observers might be in for a treat.Did someone say Wild Card?The 2016 World Championship may have taught squads at large that the Wild Card teams like Albus NoX are not to be trifled with. Now for something potentially scary: since Russian squad Vega Squadron acquired Edward Edward Abgaryan, it has been an equal match to ANX. In addition, the roster has barely changed since then, with Alexei LeX Kitsak joining the fray.Vega may be the blue shell to squads not named Kongdoo Monster or Samsung Galaxy, and even then, squads may need to worry should they concede early advantages. In fact, the Russian team faces Samsung on its first day.The same cannot be said about Dark Passage on paper, as they have lost their ace, Rasmus Caps Winther, during free agency, and are fielding temporary substitutes in the jungle, top lane and AD carry spots. Their presence does remain noteworthy considering their road to IEM Gyeonggi, as they went undefeated throughout their matchups against Rampage and the Saigon Jokers. Cheap Asics Australia . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. Vapormax Outlet . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. http://www.discountaustraliashoes.com/ .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Discount Air Max 95 Australia . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Air Max 90 Outlet Australia . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Veteran wide receiver Lance Moore retired from the NFL on Monday, the Atlanta Falcons announced.Moore had signed with the Falcons on Friday to compete for the No. 5 wide receiver spot. He played 10 seasons, finishing with 389 receptions for 4,816 yards and 44 touchdowns.Moore reflected on his career in a Facebook post, writing that he always prided myself in playing for the right reasons and respecting the game. At this point if I were to continue to play I would no longer be doing that.Ive got a lot of respect for him as a man, Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. I thought it was real admirable, his approach. What a pro to say, If my heart is not in it, I want to make sure Im not taking the opportunity from somebody else. I thought, Man, what a classy guy.I wish him the best. A guy like that you know is going to be very successful past football.Moore, who will turn 33 on Aug. 31, had a career revival with the Lions in 2015 after signing a one-year deal with Detroit last offseason. He had 29 catches for 337 yards and four touchdowns as the teams No. 3 receiver.The longtime Saints stalwart spent nine seasons in New Orleans and was a key receiverr on the franchises Super Bowl-winning team in 2009.ddddddddddddHes one of the best receivers that has played here. The thing that stands out, man, he was consistent, and he would come up big on third down, in the red area. Had a tremendous career, Saints coach Sean Payton said Monday.Moores best statistical seasons were 2008 and 2012. He caught 79 passes for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008, and hauled in 65 receptions for 1,041 yards and six scores in 12.He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2005.Youre always fond of those guys that start on first base. And Lance -- he started in the dugout. Played over in Europe, then on a practice squad, then worked his way into the starting lineup, was a part of our championship run, Payton said.The game will miss a guy like him. Hes outstanding.Between New Orleans and Detroit, Moore spent one season in Pittsburgh, where he caught 14 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns.ESPNs Vaughn McClure, Mike Triplett and Michael Rothstein contributed to this report. ' ' '