FC Schalke 04 vs Splyce

Photo: Riot Games

For our second gauntlet Best of 5, we have yet another incredibly exciting clash between two staple LEC organizations. Then again, frankly speaking, neither of these two challengers are entering this match with a lot of hype and momentum. First of all, let's get one thing straight -- there's a ticket to the World Championship on the line. In other words, winning now matters most. Perhaps that's even an understatement. Both of these two challengers have been fighting tooth and nail over the last nine months in order to secure a spot at the top, and losing at this point in time would mean it was all for naught; losing right now would be absolutely crushing.

So needless to say, the pressure is mounting. Lots of it. To know in the back of your head that you could potentially waste an entire competitive season is an overwhelming notion. Furthermore, we can't remember the last time two relatively underwhelming contenders fought for such a big, prestigious award. It kind of boggles the mind. The fact that the LEC is currently defined by only two giants -- G2 Esports and Fnatic -- with everyone else fighting for scraps. And one of those teams is going to represent Europe on the biggest competitive stage as well.

Now, it's important to highlight that neither Splyce nor Schalke 04 are bad teams. That's just not true. Instead, they're very solid, fairly inconsistent challengers that have frequent flashes of brilliance but also moments of mind-boggling mediocrity. That's the frustrating part as well -- we've seen them dominate and we've seen what they have to offer. When they're at the top of their game they're right behind the "kings of Europe". They're right there. But when that's not the case, their level of play leaves a lot to be desired. To say the least.

And they're going to fight against one another after losing any and all prior momentum.

Schalke 04 are entering this match after getting outclassed by Fnatic in 0-3 fashion just mere days ago in their semifinal clash. While the final outcome didn't exactly surprise anyone, the fashion in which it occurred definitely did. We expected Schalke to at least put up a fight, to compete with Fnatic in some way but it never happened. They were beaten in every stage of the game, regardless of what they went for and how well they played. They were evidently far less capable and dangerous than their adversaries on that one given day. And it was so one-sided, in fact, that's it's impossible to consider them as anything other than a solid, well-rounded gatekeeper that simply lacks the tools which are necessary to compete with the best the LEC has to offer.

This makes for a rather underwhelming clash, regardless of the final outcome. We all want fireworks, that's a fact, but we don't want to see a fiesta -- not with Worlds on the line. We want every representative to prove their worth and to actually stand a chance at leaving a mark on the international stage. Squeaking by due to lucky circumstances isn't worth much, especially not when we have the likes of G2 Esports and Fnatic also representing the region.

So Schalke aren't doing so hot, although they definitely have all the right pieces of the puzzle. They're a veteran-filled quad, and most of their players have already played on the biggest of stages. Three of them, in fact, have already graced the Worlds stage, with their top laner Odoamne actually achieving the most success back in 2016 with H2K. 

When they're at the top of their game, they're a contender worthy of challenging for the LEC throne. But we never really know when they're going to play to their best, and whether or not they'll get on the same page in time to actually contest. Regardless, they're strong, cohesive, and highly capable in all stages of the game.

Splyce, on the other hand, are a fairly big question mark right now. They're entering the second round of the gauntlet after beating Origen in 3-2 fashion, but they didn't look good in the process. Not in the slightest. The fact that they struggled so much against a weakened Origen -- a team that couldn't play with their original starting jungler due to illness -- is a worrying sign. To say the least. They were sloppy, out of sync, and they made a metric ton of individual mistakes. This was classic Splyce, at once both incredible and aggressive, but also horrendous and passive. 

In fact, both teams were as passive as humanly possible. With so much on the line, they were afraid to dictate the pace of the game, to take the reins and take control of their fate. Instead, it was a boring game of cat and mouse, with one team barely winning in the end. We wanted action and five-on-five chaos, but instead got a sloppy series with no team really emerging as a "winner". Both teams lost a lot of stock because of the way they played, and even though it was slightly justified, we still had every right to expect more from two staple European organizations. 

Finally, these two contenders have been breathing at each other's necks for quite a long time now. They've traded heavy blows week after week in an attempt to reach the Top 3 and even though Splyce ultimately succeeded in doing so, they also imploded far beyond what anyone could predict. Or, rather, far beyond than what made sense. 

Both organizations have a history of underperforming when it mattered the most. Luckily, one of them is guaranteed to go to Worlds, so there's that. A silver lining, perhaps? Saying who's better than whom at this point in time is a fairly thankless endeavor. They've both had their ups and downs, their exceptional triumphs but also crushing failures. One thing is for certain, however: Splyce regressed quite a bit. The fact that they had to rely on their late-game insurance yesterday means they no longer have the confidence to make early plays and to throw down from the very get go. With so much on the line, they become a lot more passive and unwilling to trade.

Schalke, on the other hand, never displayed such a fear, even when they were losing handily to Fnatic. They were mostly looking for plays and for openings, and to their credit, managed to find them on more than one occasion. They were competitive, although it quickly became obvious that they would lose sooner rather than later. They also have threats in every single lane and their jungler Trick (former two-time LEC MVP) is the driving force in the early game. They're deceptively strong and definitely have the right tools to get the win tonight. 

In the end, we simply have to side with Schalke 04 on this one. As inconsistent as they are, it's evident that they truly are the third best team from Europe. Splyce, to their credit, definitely aren't a pushover, but they're seemingly unable to compete at the highest of levels for prolonged periods of time. There's always something that goes awry, and counting on them to clutch things out is not advisable. That said, they've reached the top of the region for a reason, and they definitely want the honor of representing Europe on the Worlds stage. They're going to fight their hearts out on the Summoner's Rift, and will definitely make this into one insanely competitive Best of 5 series.