CLG vs Cloud9

The second Best of 5 of the 2022 LCS Championship is a lot more interesting (and, presumably, competitive) than the one preceding it: Cloud9 taking on Counter Logic Gaming is a veritable barnburner! Its outcome feels foregone, but if there's one thing we've learned throughout 2022 it is the fact that we should never underestimate CLG, no matter how shaky or inconsistent they might seem. They're playing some truly respectable League of Legends and they've embraced their underdog status fully -- they're fed up with being deemed inferior and they're going to fight tooth and nail to prove their (many) doubters wrong.

And, in a way, they've already succeeded. Finishing fourth in a region that is fairly competitive and stacked with talent is no small feat. They're ranked right behind Evil Geniuses, 100 Thieves, and Team Liquid -- the LCS pantheon, if you will. That's very good company, all things considered, and the fact that CLG have traded blows (and even won out from time to time) is a feat worthy of the highest praise and commendation.

Now, let's get one thing clear: they most certainly will *not* leave any kind of a mark once everything is said and done. Their last few games have been shoddy at best -- it was a deflating series of events and their many flaws and deficiencies were on full display (against lower ranked teams, too). They're still insanely creative and flexible, they're still incredibly capable in the early game with some mighty unexpected off-tempo ganks and roams, but these things -- impressive though they are -- will not suffice against the LCS pantheon. There's really no other way to phrase it. These moments and idiosyncratic tendencies can, in fact, be prepared for. Plus, they're way too rough around the edges to sustain such a playstyle across a five-game series -- and actually live to tell the tale.

They're inconsistent, individually flawed, and tend to make egregious mistakes at the most random of moments; they're a true mid-tier gatekeeper, and the fact that they can, at times, overperform does very little to change it.

Cloud9, on the other hand, are a much tougher nut to crack. Evaluating their strength and long-term potential (or lack thereof) is far more complicated and challenging than anyone could have expected. They have many strengths but also a few debilitating weaknesses, the likes of which may or may not end up hindering their chances at leaving a mark.

With all of that being said, Cloud9 have a massively high skill ceiling and they're not even close to realizing it. That's a good thing, just to be clear. They have some of the very best and most capable players the North American region has ever seen. A spectacular top laner, arguably the best native jungler of all time, the second best mid laner in LCS history, and a prodigious marksman with an incredibly bright future ahead of him. There's no weak link, nothing to really single out and criticize other than their lacking synergy and somewhat flawed team-wide identity -- the likes of which will surely improve and evolve over the coming weeks.

Moreover, it's a small miracle that they were even able to lock down a spot in the Top 5 after their wholly disastrous start. Zven and Berserker couldn't join the team up until the halfway point of the split, and the fact that they're 10W-8L at this point in time speaks volumes about their inherent talent and ability to perform. They're a tremendously talented team and are, without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest dark horse of the 2022 LCS Championship. Their drafts could use a bit of work, though, as they range from ingenious to downright abysmal fairly frequently. That's not going to be that big of a problem in a Best o5 setting but it's still something worth keeping in mind.

In any case, if there's one team that could pull off a miraculous lower bracket run, it's Cloud9. They've done it in the past as well, so there's more than enough empirical evidence to back up such a claim. If everyone does their job (and there's really no reason why they wouldn't), Cloud9 shouldn't have any real issue in taking down Counter Logic Gaming. It's probably not going to be a clean sweep, granted, but a dominant 3-1 feels like a fairly rational (and most likely) outcome.

It's not going to be easy, mind you, but they're obviously well prepared for any kind of twist or curve ball which CLG might bring to the table. They've seen it all and should by all means be able to come out on top once everything is said and done.