GAME 1

This was not the Samsung Galaxy that so easily defeated Longzhu. It might be a testament to how difficult it is to play a new team compared to a familiar one. Either way, SSG were trounced this game. It was partially because they weren’t playing well, but Team WE also did everything right.

CuVee was going to be a problem for WE, especially since 957 was so key for many of their wins. Knowing this, WE hard targeted him. But SSG were making mistakes straight out the gate. First, they tried to put CuVee onto Kennen again despite the fact that WE would have seen their LZ games and prepared. Second, CuVee last picked Kennen knowing full well he would be facing a Xayah and Kassadin, two champions that could fairly easily get away from his ulti. Coupled with the fact that WE’s Condi hard focused top lane ganks and put CuVee into a huge hole, there was no way SSG had a fighting chance at this game.

GAME 2

This was much closer to the kind of match we expected out of SSG. Their draft made sense, far more than the last game, and they executed it to perfection. Knowing that WE was building into a protect the Twitch comp, they drafted Malzahar, and that pick alone was a huge factor. Every time that WE would initiate with Jarvan and Galio, SSG would focus on staying alive and shutting down Twitch. Sometimes this was as easy as Malzahar ulting him the moment WE’s tank line was preoccupied, but often WE put themselves into disadvantages positions by being overeager to engage.

By 20 minutes, SSG were up five turrets, and it was as much about WE’s too aggressive initiations as it was about SSG’s near perfect, calm plays. SSG never panicked. Even as Ruler was trapped near red buff with Jarvan and Galio, he had the presence of mind not to flash his way over the wall, knowing that a Rumble ult had just been laid down. He instead fought until he died and saved all his summoners, a small victory, but the type of split-second decision making that put them hugely ahead.

GAME 3

As often happens, by Game 3 both teams wanted to slow the tempo. The first game was a huge win for Team WE. The second game was a huge win for Samsung Galaxy. Game 3 was a chance for both teams to evaluate one another and try to find weaknesses by waiting it out, and boy did they wait it out. 21 minutes into the game, there was still not a single death on the board. CuVee was playing a hyper defensive Shen, and Crown played a very reserved Taliyah, spending nearly no time roaming or looking for ganks. It was shortly after the twenty minute mark that SSG finally pulled the trigger, diving mid turret and securing first blood. After this, SSG quickly rushed the game to a win by forcing a Baron fight that went 3-1 in their favor.

GAME 4

All the slow speed that had been built in Game 3 came to a huge head in Game 4. This game was sheer anarchy. Both teams hurled themselves at one another, WE out of desperation for a win, and SSG simply to prove they could as one of the best team fighting teams in the world.

WE’s aggression paid dividends several times, like when they countered a top lane dive for three kills or when they simply outplayed Crown and Ambition in the mid lane for even more kills. However, just as WE stole away Kennen and Taliyah this game, perhaps to send a message, SSG stole away a core mechanic of 957. When the game came entirely apart was a five man gank bot lane by WE. It looked hugely in favor of them until Crown teleported behind WE in a mimic of 957 and swung the teamfight in SSG’s favor, getting three kills and a turret. From there, it was all about CuVee’s Gnar, who became a split-pushing monster that WE simply couldn’t answer.