Liquid Takes Fourth LCS Title
Team Liquid spent their weekend taking a fourth consecutive League of Legends Championship Series title, to end the LCS Summer Split playoffs over the weekend. Liquid took on Cloud9 in the final, winning the best-of-five series 3-2.
Liquid was the top seed going into the playoffs as their group stage performance put them at 14 and 4 going in, with Cloud9 and Counter Logic Gaming at 12-6 in second and third respectively. As a result of the seeds, both Liquid and Cloud 9 went into the semi finals of the playoffs, while teams like SoloMid, Clutch Gaming, CLG and OpTic had an extra game to play in the quarters.
Liquid started off their dominance by getting two big kills in the river and found a way to quell the aggression of C9 which ultimately allowed TL to take the first turret in bottom lane. Liquid kept the pressure on by taking the 2nd turret in top lane, as well as the Rift Herald and Infernal Drake. Liquid then took a big fight in mid, killing three and getting Baron without loss, and closed off the game 13-9 ahead in kills in just under 30 mins.
The second game saw C9 pick up a high tempo and had the answers to everything Liquid could throw at them. Without even taking Baron, C9 took the Liquid base, only to fall back a little later to the jungle to take a good fight, leaving them 4 up against 1, allowing them to then get the Baron. Liquid were determined though and saw a few fights break even, and even win a few, but C9s determination kept them in and they took the game by wiping Liquid at the end.
C9 kept up a similar methodology by keeping a high tempo game going but the turn of the tides came near mid game where C9 got three kills and the Baron, which allowed them to take a bottom lane inhibitor. Liquid then tried to keep C9 out the base, but they could, just staying in as unwelcomed guests, taking the base and closing out the 3rd game.
Liquid took hold of the fourth game by showing some early aggression, but saw a tide turn for C9 when Liquid sniffed out a bait with Baron, which ended up with Liquid getting four unanswered kills, followed by a bottom lane inhibitor. The final game saw Liquid absolutely destroy C9 in a dominating game, ending 24-4. Liquid used early advantages to take objectives and win team fights, and pushed the momentum all the way, baiting out Baron, and winning an unanswered team fight. Liquid had another clean sweep fight without losing anyone and saw them tie up the series 3-2.
Either way, Liquid ended up with a task on their hand, having to play the full series against Clutch in the semis edging them out 3-2, and then playing another full series in the final against Cloud9. Liquid walks away from the competition with $100,000 and qualification for the World Championship 2019 which begins in October. C9 takes home $50,000 and the knowledge that they have already qualified for the play-in stage of the Worlds.
- Team Liquid
- Cloud9
- Counter Logic Gaming
- Clutch Gaming
