This weekend Clutch Gaming did the unthinkable and received their bid to compete at Worlds 2019 in Paris. Against all odds, CG dominated the LCS gauntlet. Lastly, the team hailing from Houston, completed a reverse sweep against tournament favorites, Team SoloMid. So this begs the question, just how clutch is Clutch Gaming and what is their secret formula to success?
Image from LoL Esports Flickr
Tanner “Damonte” Damonte is one of the brightest stars of the LCS. Not only is he unbelievably charismatic, but he is one of the great hopes for North American midlane talent. While he may not have particularly flashy plays or may not always have the best stat line, he absorbs pressure from some of the best mid laners in the league like Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen. It’s clear that he is the leader of his team, that lifts up his team even when they’re down. If Dignitas/Clutch can hone his talent and he can gain crucial experience from Worlds by playing much better mid laners, he could be a massive threat in the upcoming seasons.
While Cody Sun might be famous for
THAT Tristana play, he is another American raised talent that shines on CG. Cody Sun dominated in Game 5 against TSM, playing an unconventional ADC in Kog’Maw, going 7/0/7, racking up 700 gold bounty by the end of the game. In addition, during game one despite losing he had an incredible kill score of 8/2/3, contributing to nearly 65% of his teams kills. Similar to Damonte, he may not be the best bot laner in the LCS, but for the past 3 years he’s gone to worlds and proves he is a consistent and good player. Furthermore, statistically he is always one of the best at taking CS advantages over his lane opponents at 15 minutes. If Cody Sun goes unchecked, he will run wild and take over games with ease.
(Photo by Paul de Leon/Riot Games)
This will be Huni’s first appearance at worlds since 2017, where he placed second. Huni’s ability to snowball his lead or contribute with great roams is crucial for Clutch’s success. During the matches that Clutch won against TSM, Huni averaged a 66% kill participation. Huni’s influence over other lanes and ability to carry his team to victory is an intangible that most top laners in the LCS do not have. Huni’s veteran experience at worlds, especially in later playoff rounds will be crucial for Clutch during the group stage. Huni doesn’t quit and every loss is an emotional one. It’s clear that he is the emotional backbone of the team and brings the best out of his teammates with his attitude and will to win.
So just how clutch is Clutch Gaming? They’re so clutch they made it to LCS semi’s and clinched their spot at worlds despite only going 9-9 during the regular season.
What is their secret? They possess talent that goes beyond their statistics.Their will to win looks to be at an all time high.
Keep an eye out for Clutch to pull off another miracle and shock the world at Worlds 2019.
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