The number one North American League of Legends competition LCS is heading to the grand final, with only four teams left in the playoffs. After the first two lower bracket games being played, this weekend, one team will be left out of championship while the rest earn their tickets for the final weekend of LCS 2022 Spring Playoffs.
Losing their first games, Cloud9 and Evil Geniuses got dropped to the lower bracket where they would face Golden Guardians and FlyQuest. Both C9 and EG proved to be too strong for their opponents, defeating them without much trouble and moving on to the next round. If you missed the games, make sure to check out the recap below.
Cloud9 vs Golden Guardians
The series against 100 Thieves was a total disappointment for Cloud9, all 5 players had a very poor day and they just had to refresh their minds after such a disaster. Replacing Korean-American support Winsome, Australian support Isles stepped in for GG, most likely in order to use the power of change, even if it’s very subtle.
Cloud9 had a spectacular start in the series. All three lanes were won while enemy carries fell behind, while Summit played an amazing Gangplank, the highlight was Fudge’s 7-0-9 Viktor. After failing to make their plans work in the first game, Golden Guardians changed their focus for the second one.
They tried to put pressure on the bottom lane, which looked like it worked. However, the top side of Cloud9 was too strong to deal with this time. Isles was 0-6-11 with Lux and Berserker was 5-5-8 with Caitlyn, but they were still able to have an effect on the game. On top of that, Fudge’s 9-1-7 LeBlanc and Blaber’s 5-1-11 Lee Sin dominated the Rift.
Cloud9 went for the same draft as the first game, with Blaber picking Lee Sin once again. It took 13 seconds longer than the first game and Golden Guardians found one more kill, those were the only differences. Playing the basic stuff and staying in the game mentally helped Cloud9 find an easy victory, and they advanced to the next round.
Evil Geniuses vs FlyQuest
Obviously, this one was a more even matchup. FlyQuest was able to get Zeri-Yuumi for the first game but they failed to utilize them enough to make a difference. Josedeodo helped his team stay in the game during the early phase, but as the mid game progressed, jojopyun and Inspired were able to have an immense impact, helping their team get to victory.
Following that, one of the longest games in this year’s LCS was played, as FlyQuest failed to use their advantages to somehow end the game easily. It took them 52 minutes and several chaotic teamfights, and at some point EG was on the brink of ending the game, the nexus left with very little HP. During the 51st minute, Kumo decided it was time to end the game, going for the nexus alone and finishing the job.
However, Evil Geniuses weren't letting any more upsets. Being able to play better League of Legends all around the map and having a greater impact around the Rift, EG won the third game 17-9 in 39 minutes, and the fourth 17-5 in 35 minutes. For such advantages, it took long for them to finish, showing they have some flaws they have to work on before they face Cloud9 in the next round.
LCS 2022 Spring Playoffs schedule for this weekend
The grand final on April 24 is coming closer and closer. Check out the schedule for the penultimate weekend below:
April 16, Saturday
Team Liquid (1.60) vs 100 Thieves (2.20) - 22:30 CEST
April 17, Sunday
Cloud9 (1.50) vs Evil Geniuses (2.40) - 21:30 CEST
Team Liquid is one of the best teams during the regular season, and their roster is very strong, and they are definitely the favourite for the LCS championship. However, 100 Thieves found the infamous playoffs buff. Closer is once again on top of his form, and when he is, he is the best jungler in the LCS. It’s going to be a close one probably, but you should definitely tune in to watch that action.
Cloud9 will face Evil Geniuses on the second game of the weekend, and considering the performances of both these teams, C9 definitely looks better, as reflected on the betting odds. They failed to show a strong presence against such a strong and experienced team like 100 Thieves, but taking EG’s performance against FlyQuest into account, C9 has a better chance. Of course, they are a brand new team, if EG plays their cards right, there is no reason for them not to pull an upset.
If you are interested in LCS, make sure you check out Luckbox where you can watch the games live and place your bets on your favourite teams.
