Team SoloMid vs Cloud9

What an absolute and utter mess, a clash of two perennial titans that has been stripped and robbed of all its hype. TSM are one of the worst teams in the league whereas Cloud9 have just lost their head coach. If you were hoping for a fight of two equals and a spectacle worthy of the history books, you're bound to be left disappointed.

To make matters even worse, Cloud9 were one of the most exciting teams in the LCS primarily because of LS' mind-blowing drafts and unique approach to the game. Without him leading the charge, they're just not as impressive or alluring. They're still a mighty capable team, obviously, but there's a world of difference nonetheless. They don't have that mysterious aura nor do they have LS' off-meta team comps and strategies. The two parties seemed like the perfect fit, which is why we're so taken aback by this whole development -- it came out of nowhere and the region as a whole will lose as a result of it.

This brash new Cloud9 was creative enough to push everyone past their limits and force them to not only adapt but also question what's meta and what's actually worth playing. Without that, they're nothing but a basic team with a few great players -- one of many over in North America.

Then again, it's not like TSM pose a particularly great threat. They're totally out of sync and are as flawed as it gets. Their one win over IMT also isn't worth much seeing how they were losing for 99% of the game. They're not exactly a pushover, and Yursan has, it seems, given them a more coherent identity, but all of this simply shouldn't be enough against Cloud9 -- assuming they haven't imploded completely after parting ways with LS. Their showing yesterday was truly scandalous, but now that they've had a bit more time for everything to sink in, we should be seeing them return to form.