Analysis and Opinion

Cloud9’s Comeback: How Team Liquid Lost the Semifinals in Game 3

Team Liquid is fresh off a Semifinal loss to Cloud9 in a heartbreaking five-game series that looked to be well in hand after the first two games. Liquid had stormed out to a 2-0 series lead on the back of strong performances from Piglet’s 12-2-4 Lucian in Game 1, then FeniX’s surprising 9-1-10 Azir and Quas’s 7-2-7 Hecarim in Game 2. The team was riding high, and demonstrating their ability to carry from all three lanes.

A couple of hours later it had all melted away into bitter defeat after three straight losses, capped off by an opening skirmish in Game 5 that ended the game almost before it had even begun.

But long before Game 5 was decided in the first few minutes by LemonNation’s solo jungle harass, Team Liquid was mentally on the ropes. Cloud9’s Game 3 victory had given the higher-seeded team a surge of hope and a recipe for success, while on Liquid’s side the loss opened up old mental wounds, rekindling memories of the reverse sweep they suffered at the hands of LMQ in Summer 2014, a loss which denied them a chance to play at the World Championships.

Game 5 officially determined the winner of the series, but in many ways Game 3 was the deciding game. Continue reading Cloud9’s Comeback: How Team Liquid Lost the Semifinals in Game 3 →

Analysis and Opinion

NA LCS Semi-Final 2 Preview: Team Solo Mid vs. Team Impulse, Head to Head

The largest fan base in the NA LCS belongs to TSM, but Team Impulse, formerly LMQ, has been winning over plenty of fans of their own with their skirmish-heavy, aggressive play style, epitomized by their jungler Rush, the former Korean solo queue star. Now the two teams are set to face off in the second Semifinal of the 2015 Spring playoffs.

There has been plenty of debate about TiP’s chances to dethrone the reigning IEM World Champions, and perhaps surprisingly, TiP is getting a lot of popular support, in some cases even being called the favourites to make it to the NA Finals. In this article we’ll apply some statistics to the TSM/TiP matchup and see who has the advantage role by role, as well as looking at some overall team stats.

These stats don’t tell the whole story, but they draw attention to some interesting facets of the players and teams which we might not otherwise notice. I’ve presented my interpretations based on these numbers, but as always, I encourage everyone to draw their own conclusions!

To see a similar statistical breakdown of the other Semifinal, showcasing Cloud9 vs. Team Liquid, head over to the previous article. Continue reading NA LCS Semi-Final 2 Preview: Team Solo Mid vs. Team Impulse, Head to Head →

Analysis and Opinion

NA LCS Semi-Final 1 Preview: Cloud9 vs. Team Liquid, Head to Head

Cloud9 vs. Team Liquid is a matchup between two veteran rosters. Today we’ll take a look at the teams head to head, both by position and overall, drawing on various statistics from the regular season and tiebreakers to guide our comparisons. We’ll see why Cloud9 are the favourites coming in, and where Team Liquid’s relative points of strength lie throughout their roster.

These stats don’t tell the whole story, but they draw attention to some interesting facets of the players and teams which we might not otherwise notice. Through these comparisons we’ll see the strengths of each team’s roster, and get some insight into their overall strategic approaches, as well.

I’ve presented my interpretations based on these numbers, but as always, I encourage everyone to draw their own conclusions! Continue reading NA LCS Semi-Final 1 Preview: Cloud9 vs. Team Liquid, Head to Head →

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