The League of Legends World Championship is only a few days away from its Grand Final. On one side of the bracket, pre-tournament favorites Damwon Gaming have made it to the finals. However, on the other side, Suning have upset multiple teams deemed better than them to face Damwon for all the marbles.
First Place in groups
Image Courtesy of Leaguepedia
Coming into Worlds as the third seed from the LPL, Suning ended up in pool two. They drew G2 and Machi to form group A. G2 were viewed by many as one of the four favorites, being the number one seed from the LEC and having reached the grand finals last year. In one of the most exciting matches so far at Worlds, they fell to G2 in their first match.
After another trip up against Team Liquid, who joined the group, Suning had to play their second match against G2 and force a tiebreaker for first. After a very one-sided victory, Suning found themselves in a tiebreaker to finish first. In a match that started out well but started to fall out of control, it was Bin that came up with the goods, guaranteeing first seed for Suning.
JD Gaming in quarter-finals
As the first placed seed of their group, they met up with JD Gaming, who finished in second, in the quarter-finals. JDG were another one of the pre-tournament favorites, coming in as the second seed from the LPL, who also won the Spring Split.
Many predicted that it was going to be a close game, as Suning looked sharp. Sadly for the viewers, the game wasn’t really close, with JDG only taking one game. Suning were by far the better team on the day, with all lanes outperforming. Zoom was the only consistent performer, who managed to find advantages against Bin in most of the games.
Revenge against TOP Esports
As fate would have it, Suning would have a final date with TOP this year. During the Summer Split, TOP ended Suning’s massive win streak. During playoffs, they knocked them out in a clean 3:0, forcing them to play in the Regional Finals.
Unphased by their adversaries, Suning took game one. Even after losing game two, Suning still had confidence in their abilities. They bounced back, winning game three, using that momentum to finish out the series. TOP were viewed by many as one of the top two favorite teams to win, but they got outpaced by Suning in the end.
The final hurdle: Damwon Gaming
Worlds this year had many incredible matches and stories. From Legacy’s run in play-ins, PSG qualifying in first with substitute players TSM’s disappointing run, and many others. With the dust settling, only two teams are left standing.
Damwon has had an incredible run so far, losing only 2 games, one to JDG, and one to G2. Damwon represent the best that the LCK has to offer, coming in the number one seed, and are the favorites in the eyes of many analysts.
However, Suning has been fighting against the odds all tournament long. Many didn’t know them before the tournament started. Now, regardless of how things end, Suning will go down in history as the team with one of the most impressive runs in Worlds History.
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