CLG vs Team SoloMid

For our fourth match of the day, we have a rather confusing clash between Team SoloMid and Counter Logic Gaming. It's confusing for one simple reason: Counter Logic Gaming are coming off a win over 100 Thieves, one of the best and most cohesive teams in the LCS right now. And that, quite simply, is a shocking thing. Furthermore, no one in their right mind thought CLG had a chance given how they had to face 100T without either Finn or Broxah -- two of their most prominent LEC imports. So to not only compete with 100T on even footing with two substitutes (no matter how experienced) but even get the win against a team stacked with talent and experience, is nothing short of mind-blowing.

Of course, it's still just the beginning of the tournament, the LCS Lock-In carries no significance whatsoever, and teams are experimenting a lot more than they would otherwise, but a win is still a win, and CLG played extremely well from start to finish. Heck, maybe that's even an understatement. They could do no wrong, it seemed like, and Griffin and Solo, in particular, carried a ton of weight from minute one. No one could've predicted Solo to outperform Ssumday, and no one thought Griffin had such a clean and commanding Taliyah. But perhaps the one player who delivered the most was WildTurtle. His incredible Jhin play left no one indifferent. His damage output was insane; no matter the context or teamfight, he was constantly teetering on the edge of danger, dishing out huge numbers and capitalizing big time. He wasn't perfect, of course, his few mistakes in positioning didn't cost CLG the game, which is the only thing that matters. There was very little 100 Thieves could do, and even though they kept the gold difference relatively even, it was obvious that they lacked that extra bit of oomph which was necessary to close things out. CLG, on the other hand, showed very little hesitation when it mattered most. Their calls were decisive, which isn't something you'd expect from a team that was playing with two stand-ins.

Still, no one's quite sure whether that was just a flash in the pan, a moment of fleeting brilliance, or a promising sign of what's to come. Even worse, no one can predict what'll happen going forward as their stock rose through the roof precisely because of the nature of their win. Team SoloMid, on the other hand, didn't do much to impress. They lost their first game to 100 Thieves (an expected outcome) and then nearly dropped another one to the Golden Guardians (of all teams). And sure, they found the strength to reverse their fate and ultimately get the win, but they didn't look good throughout the whole process and, one could argue, they didn't deserve to get the "W" either. Had GGS not made some of the most egregious Baron calls we've seen in 2021, they would've easily been able to close things out and enter the third day of the LCS Lock-In with an .500 record.

In the end, GGS' stock rose a lot higher despite losing. They defeated themselves, is all, but their dreadful late game calls can definitely be justified given their lack of experience (both as individual players and also as a five-man unit). Team SoloMid, conversely, didn't earn our trust, and it's easy to understand why. Still, they have a ton of experience, and it shined bright when it mattered most: the late game. Will CLG give them as big of an opportunity to capitalize and turn the tides of battle? Probably not, but it's impossible to predict at this point in time.

Predicting the outcome of this one game is nigh impossible. CLG is entering the clash with a lot more hype and momentum, but that won't mean much if the TSM bunch comes out swinging for the fences. In the end, we'll side with the boys in black and white on this one, but it could really go either way. There's very little rhyme or reason behind what's going on in the LCS Lock-In right now, so expect the unexpected, including the seemingly impossible.