Entering Week 3, Team SoloMid and Clutch Gaming have had similar, yet different starts to their Summer Splits. For TSM, they had gotten off to a 2-2 start that put them in the middle of the pack. Clutch were also sitting at 2-2, but this was an improvement from the spring. One side was looking to find the momentum, whereas the other wanted to ride the momentum they already had.
With TSM struggling like they have to start the summer, they tried to take advantage of their winning match-ups in champion select. Their bans of Rumble, Sylas, Ryze, Olaf and Skarner emphasized their focus on the Top side of the map. This has echoed throughout almost all of their matches this season and it’s proven to be effective. However, their lack of preparation for the Bottom side of the map is something to keep in mind.
Image Courtesy of LoL Esports Flickr.
On the other side, Clutch banned out the Bottom Lane, banning Yuumi, Sona, Sejuani, Sivir and Ezreal. It seems like they wanted to limit Jesper ‘Zven’ Svenningsen’s champion pool and give an advantage to their Bottom Lane duo. In fact, Cody Sun and Philippe ‘Vulcan’ Laflamme stuck to their roots and played the Lover’s Duo of Xayah and Rakan, adding even more comfort to the match-up.
Both sides sought similar outcomes with their ban patterns, however they were on opposite sides of the map. TSM’s group of bans coincided with their usual game plan, as did the bans of Clutch. This ultimately kept the tides close throughout the entire match.
After such an inconsistent Spring Split, Clutch Gaming have been doing their best to rewrite their history. A roster change in between the splits this year has given them new life, but Team SoloMid were ready to kill it.
Despite TSM’s poor play in the Bottom Lane this season, Zven and Andy ‘Smoothie’ Ta were able to secure first blood at around four minutes into the game. This lead was enough for them to sit pretty for most of the match, but Clutch made sure to respond. Tae-yoo ‘Lira’ Nam picked up two early kills that increased their pressure in the Jungle. However, they lacked control over most Jungle objectives.
Image Courtesy of LoL Esports Flickr.
As the game progressed, neither team wanted to budge. Both teams respected each other’s potential, so there were few fights in the mid game. Despite CG’s pressure in the Jungle, TSM managed to secure the first three Dragons. This gave them a sizable advantage to help them scale into the later stages of the game. On top of that, they secured multiple Barons to stay ahead.
Overall, this was an entirely defensive match. There weren’t many takedowns in the end, but there was plenty of calculated play. Unfortunately for Clutch Gaming, they were just a step behind TSM in this one. After nearly 40 minutes, Team SoloMid took home the win and broke the .500 mark.
For TSM, it was their Bottom Lane duo of Zven and Smoothie that made the difference. These two played a very popular duo of Caitlyn and Lux that applied loads of pressure onto the opposition. Their long-ranged abilities made it very hard for Clutch to get anything going in the Bottom Lane. In the end, they finished with a combined score of 6/2/10 to help carry TSM over an impressive Clutch Gaming squad.
Clutch now drop to 2-3 on the Summer Split. This loss shouldn’t hang over their heads for long, but they certainly have a lot to work on. As long as they stick to their current game plan and roster, there shouldn’t be much stopping them from becoming a quality team.
Featured Image Courtesy of LoL Esports.
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